Making Movie History: Claude Fournier

A master of Quebec comedy, Claude Fournier has directed such memorable films as Deux femmes en or (1970), a hit that pulled in two million veiwers, and the more recent J'en suis! (1997). Originally a journalist, he was drawn to cinema, and documentary in particular, through an interest in cinematography, a passion he shared with friend Michel Brault. He collaborated with Brault and his contemporaries on the NFB's early forays into Direct Cinema, contributing to the groundbreaking La lutte (1961). Fournier left the NFB to work in New York, honing his craft alongside Robert Drew, Richard Leacodk, and D.A. Pennebaker--the pioneering figures behind such seminal films as Primary (1960). The multi-talented Fournier would become a leading figure in Quebec's film and TV industry. He reunited with Michel Brault in 1994, co-writing the screenplay for Mon ami Max.