Claude Jutra (; March 11, 1930 – November 5, 1986) was a Canadian actor, film director, and screenwriter."Claude Jutra"
at

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available f ...

. The

Prix Jutra The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a Canadian non-profit organization created in 1979 to recognize the achievements of the over 4,000 Canadian cinema of Canada, film industry and television in Canada, television industry professionals ...

Claude Jutra Award The John Dunning Best First Feature Award is a special Canadian film award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the year's best feature film by a first-time film director. Under the earlier names Claude Jutra Award and Ca ...

, were named in his honour because of his importance in Quebec cinema history."Claude Jutra's name to be pulled from Quebec film awards"
. ''

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'', February 16, 2016. The awards were renamed in 2016 following the publication of allegations that he had sexually abused children during his lifetime, as were streets named for him."Quebec Cinema will rename Jutra awards; cities renaming streets"

CTV Montreal CFCF-DT (channel 12) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Noovo flagship CFJP-DT (channel 35). Both stations share studios at ...

, February 17, 2016.

Life and career

Jutra was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec as Claude Jutras. His father, Albert Jutras, was a radiologist and a director of the Collège des médecins du Québec. He made the short films ''Dément du lac Jean-Jeunes'' and '' Perpetual Movement (Mouvement perpétuel)'' before graduating from the Université de Montréal with a degree in medicine, but turned to filmmaking instead of medical practice after completing his degree. He studied theatre in Montréal (1952–53) and wrote his first original Quebec television play (''L'Ecole de la peur'') in 1953, and a television series, ''Images en boite'', in 1954. He went to work at the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary fi ...

in 1956 where he trained in all facets of filmmaking, although his first film for the NFB, ''Trio-Brio'', was permanently lost when the organization moved its head office from Ottawa to Montreal. As a filmmaker, he dropped the s from his surname, a common Québécois surname, because the Jutra spelling was more distinctive. In 1958 he went to France and Africa to work with noted French filmmaker,

Jean Rouch Jean Rouch (; 31 May 1917 – 18 February 2004) was a French filmmaker and anthropologist. He is considered one of the founders of cinéma vérité in France. Rouch's practice as a filmmaker, for over 60 years in Africa, was characterized b ...

. Claude Jutra's career in film, in a certain sense, paralleled Quebec cinema itself. Beginning as an amateur at a time when there was no Quebec cinema, he participated in (and sometime led) several of the principal developments in Quebec: traditional documentaries and docudramas at the NFB; the germinal period of direct cinema; the first steps in the early 1960s toward independent film production; and later trend toward large-budget features, such as '' Kamouraska'', a box office failure now revealed to be a major work in the canon of Canadian cinema. Overall, his work had a consistent thematic pattern: young people and the (often traumatic) passage from innocence to knowledge, a theme that has nostalgic overtones. With financing and production provided by the NFB, Jutra co-wrote and directed the 1971 film '' Mon oncle Antoine'', which until very recently has been ranked as the best Canadian movie ever made. As well as directing several

cinema vérité Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

shorts such as ''

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

'' and ''

The Devil's Toy ''The Devil's Toy'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Harley Knoles and starring Adele Blood, Edwin Stevens and Montagu Love.Langman p.25 Cast * Adele Blood as Helen Danvier * Edwin Stevens as The Devil * Montagu Love as Wilf ...

'', he also co-directed with

Norman McLaren William Norman McLaren, LL. D. (11 April 1914 – 27 January 1987) was a Scottish Canadian animator, director and producer known for his work for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).Rosenthal, Alan. ''The new documentary in action: a caseb ...

and starred in the innovative

pixilation Pixilation is a stop motion technique in which live actors are used as a frame-by-frame subject in an animated film, by repeatedly posing while one or more frame is taken and changing pose slightly before the next frame or frames. The actor beco ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-nominated short ''

A Chairy Tale ''A Chairy Tale'' (french: Il était une chaise) is a 1957 Canadian stop-motion pixilation short film co-directed by Norman McLaren and Claude Jutra, starring Jutra with an uncooperative chair. The film humorously portrays Jutra's attempts to sit o ...

''. He was offered the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

in 1972 but declined because he was a Quebec separatist. In 1984, he was awarded the

Prix Albert-Tessier The Prix Albert-Tessier is an award by the Government of Quebec that is part of the Prix du Québec, given to individuals for an outstanding career in Quebec cinema. It is awarded to script-writing, acting, composing music, directing, producing a ...

, given to individuals for an outstanding career in Québec cinema.

Death

Jutra was diagnosed with

early-onset Alzheimer's disease Early-onset Alzheimer's disease, also called younger-onset Alzheimer's, is Alzheimer's disease diagnosed before the age of 65. It is an uncommon form of Alzheimer's, accounting for only 5–10% of all Alzheimer's cases. About 60% have a positive ...

in the early 1980s."Corpse found in river is Jutra's, note says". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', April 23, 1987. He was reported missing on November 5, 1986. His body was found in the St. Lawrence River in April 1987, with a note in his pocket reading "Je m'appelle Claude Jutra" ("My name is Claude Jutra"); an autopsy later confirmed drowning as his cause of death.

Controversy

In 2016, 30 years after Jutra's death, journalist

Yves Lever Yves Lever (1942 – July 7, 2020) was a Canadian film critic and historian from Quebec. He was historically most noted for his 2016 biography of film director Claude Jutra, which addressed allegations that Jutra had sexually abused underage childr ...

wrote in the book ''Claude Jutra, biographie'' and claimed that Jutra was a pederast. Lever said that "one of Jutra's victims was under 14 years old." He also maintained that Jutra's proclivities were known by many people in the industry, "but nobody made a big deal out of it." Lever's allegations were not officially proven, as no victims publicly came forward; however, in the wake of the allegations,

Québec Cinéma Québec Cinéma is a Canadian organization based in Quebec, whose mission is to promote and develop the Cinema of Quebec. The organization's programs include the Prix Iris, the annual film awards for Quebec films; the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, ...

held an emergency meeting to discuss changing the name of the Prix Jutra. On February 17, 2016, '' La Presse'' published an interview with an alleged victim of Jutra, who requested to remain anonymous, relating sexual contact ranging from embrace to oral sex from the time the victim was 6 to 16. On the same day and based on the information in the same article, the Minister of Culture of Quebec

Hélène David Hélène David (born 1953) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2014 provincial election.

asked Cinéma Québec to remove the name Jutra from its prizes recognizing cinematic achievements in Quebec, which they did."La ministre David demande à Québec Cinéma de se dissocier de Claude Jutra"

ICI Radio-Canada ICI or Ici may refer to: Companies and organisations * ICI Homes, builder, Florida. US * Former UK Imperial Chemical Industries ** ICI Australia, later Orica * Independent Curators International, New York City, US * Indian Concrete Institute * I ...

, February 17, 2016. She also mandated the Commission de toponymie (Quebec Toponymy Commission), a sub-agency of

Office québécois de la langue française The (, OQLF; en, Quebec Board of the French Language) is a public organization established on 24 March 1961, by the Liberal government of Jean Lesage. Attached to the , its initial mission, defined in its report of 1 April 1964, was "to align ...

which reports to the Minister of Culture, to assemble a list of all streets and public places in the province bearing the name Jutra. On the same day, Montreal mayor

Denis Coderre Denis Coderre (born July 25, 1963) is a Canadian politician from Quebec. Coderre was the member of Parliament for the riding of Bourassa from 1997 until 2013, and was the Immigration minister from 2002 to 2003 and became the mayor of Mont ...

announced that the city would remove Jutra's name from streets and parks in its jurisdiction. Of the controversy, ''The Globe and Mail'' wrote: "Few legendary figures have fallen so quickly and so completely. Merely 24 hours after the official publication of the first explosive allegation of child abuse against the Canadian cinematic pioneer, the film industry and governments started scrubbing the name Claude Jutra from every trophy, park and street."

Selected films

As actor

*''

'' - 1957 *''

À tout prendre ''À tout prendre'' (released as ''All Things Considered'' in English Canada and as ''Take It All'' in the United States) is a Canadian drama film, directed by Claude Jutra and released in 1963.Pierre Véronneau"Claude Jutra" ''The Canadian Encyclo ...

'' - 1964 *''

The Rape of a Sweet Young Girl ''The Rape of a Sweet Young Girl'' (french: Le Viol d'une jeune fille douce) is a Canadian satirical comedy-drama film, directed by Gilles Carle and released in 1968. The film stars Julie Lachapelle as Julie, a young sexually liberated woman who g ...

(Le viol d'une jeune fille douce)'' - 1968 *''Préambule'' - 1969 *''Act of the Heart'' - 1970 *'' We Are Far from the Sun (On est loin du soleil)'' - 1971 *'' Mon oncle Antoine'' -1971 *''Love on the Nose'' - 1974 (TV) *''Pour le meilleur et pour le pire'' - 1975 *''La fleur aux dents'' - 1976 *''Arts Cuba'' - 1977 (voice) *'' Two Solitudes'' - 1978 *''Riel'' - 1979 (TV) *''Till Death Do Us Part'' - 1982 (TV) *''

The Tin Flute ''The Tin Flute'' (original French title ''Bonheur d'occasion'', literally "secondhand happiness") is the first novel by Canadian author Gabrielle Roy and a classic of Canadian fiction. Imbued with Roy's brand of compassion and understanding, th ...

(Bonheur d'occasion)'' - 1983

As director

Jutra made his debut as a director with ''Le dément du lac Jean-Jeunes'' - it explored themes that remained throughout his work, a nostalgia for childhood, madness, and troubled waters. His collaboration with

Michel Brault Michel Brault, OQ (25 June 1928 – 21 September 2013) was a Canadian cinematographer, cameraman, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He was a leading figure of Direct Cinema, characteristic of the French branch of the National ...

began at this early period. ''Mouvement perpétuel'' was influenced by

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

's '' Le Sang d'un poète''. '' L'École de la peur'' (1953) was the first television film made in Quebec. Toward the end of the 1950s, he moved to France, and

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more th ...

, who became a friend, asked him to direct ''Anna la Bonne'' (1959), a Cocteau scenario. In 1960, Jutra returned to Canada.

Fiction

*''Le dément du lac Jean-Jeunes'' - 1948, short film *'' Perpetual Movement (Mouvement perpétuel)'' - 1949, short film *''L'école de la peur'' - 1953, TV movie *''Pierrot des bois'' - 1956, short film *''

'' - 1957 short animated film co-directed with

*''Les mains nettes'' - 1958 *''Anna la bonne'' - 1959, short film from a scenario by

*''

'' - 1963 *''Marie-Christine'' - 1970, short film *'' Mon oncle Antoine'' - 1971 *'' Kamouraska'' - 1973 *'' For Better or For Worse (Pour le meilleur et pour le pire)'' - 1975 *''Ada'' - 1977, TV movie created for anthology series '' For the Record'' *'' Dreamspeaker'' - 1977, TV movie created for anthology series ''For the Record'' *''Seer Was Here'' - 1977, TV movie created for anthology series ''For the Record'' *''The Patriarch'' - 1978, episode of ''

The Beachcombers ''The Beachcombers'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran on CBC Television from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990. With over 350 episodes, it is one of the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canad ...

'' *''

The Wordsmith ''The Wordsmith'' is a 1979 Canadian television film directed by Claude Jutra. It is an autobiographical piece, which brings to life the wondrous wizardy of master wordsmith Vandna Lakhanpal. Based on a screenplay by Mordecai Richler, the film s ...

'' - 1979, TV movie *'' Surfacing'' - 1980 *''

By Design ''By Design'' is a 1982 Canadian comedy-drama film directed by Claude Jutra and starring Sara Botsford and Patty Duke."Jutra's contentious By Design a fight that fails". ''The Globe and Mail'', August 23, 1982. The film was produced by B.D.F. Prod ...

'' - 1981 *''Un petit bonhomme de chemin'' - 1982, unfinished film *''

The Dame in Colour ''The Dame in Colour'' (french: La Dame en couleurs) is a 1985 Canadian drama film directed by Claude Jutra. It was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. Plot ''La Dame en couleurs'' is set in an insane asylum administered ...

(La dame en couleurs)'' - 1985 *''My Father, My Rival'' - 1985, TV movie

Documentaries

*''Au service de l'esprit troublé'' (Short film Co-Directed with Stanley Jackson, 1955) *''Chantons maintenant'' (Short film, 1956) *''Jeunesses musicales'' (Short film, 1956) *''Rondo de Mozart'' (Short film, 1957) *''Félix Leclerc, troubadour'' (Short film, 1958) *''Fred Barry, comédien'' (Short film, 1959) *''Le Niger, jeune république'' (Short film, 1961) *'' La Lutte'' (''Wrestling)'' (Short film Co-Directed with

Marcel Carrière Marcel Carrière (born April 16, 1935) is a Canadian film director and sound engineer. Biography Marcel Carrière joined the NFB in 1955 after studying electronic engineering and developed his skills as a sound engineer while working on wildlif ...

, Claude Fournier and

, 1961) *''Québec-U.S.A. ou l'invasion pacifique'' (Short film Co-Directed with

, 1962) *''Petit discours de la méthode'' (Short film Co-Directed with

Pierre Patry Pierre Patry (November 2, 1933 – June 7, 2014) was a Canadian film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Hull, Quebec, Patry began his career in the theatre as an actor and a playwright. He was a founding member of the Canadian Associat ...

, 1963) *''Ciné boum'' (Short film Co-Directed with Robert Russell, 1964) *''Comment savoir...'' (1966) *''The Devil's Toy'' (Short film, 1966) *''Au coeur de la ville'' (Short film, 1969) *'' Wow'' (1969) *''Québec fête juin '75'' (Co-Directed with

Jean-Claude Labrecque Jean-Claude Labrecque, (June 19, 1938 – May 31, 2019) was a director and cinematographer who learned the basics of filmmaking at the National Film Board of Canada. Career Jean-Claude Labrecque was born in Quebec City, Quebec, and trained as a ...

, 1976) *''Arts Cuba'' (Short film, 1977)

Awards and nominations

Canadian Film Awards *(1950)

Canadian Film Award The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

, Amateur for '' Perpetual Movement (Mouvement perpétuel)'' *(1958) Canadian Film Award, Arts and Experimental for ''

'' (shared with

) *(1964) Canadian Film Award, Feature Film for ''

'' (shared with Robert Hershorn) *(1971) Canadian Film Award, Direction (Feature) for '' Mon Oncle Antoine'' *(1977) Canadian Film Award, Direction (Non-Feature) for '' Dreamspeaker'' Genie Awards *(1986)

Genie Award The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...

, Best Achievement in Direction for ''The Lady in Colours'' (''

La Dame en couleurs ''The Dame in Colour'' (french: La Dame en couleurs) is a 1985 Canadian drama film directed by Claude Jutra. It was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. Plot ''La Dame en couleurs'' is set in an insane asylum administered ...

'') *(1986) Genie Award, Best Screenplay for ''The Lady in Colours'' (''La Dame en couleurs'')

Film about Claude Jutra

Jutra's close friend, filmmaker

Paule Baillargeon Paule Baillargeon (born July 19, 1945 in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec) is a Canadian actress and film director. She won the Genie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film ''I've Heard the Mermaids Singing'', and was a nominee for Bes ...

, directed the feature documentary ''Claude Jutra: An Unfinished Story'' in 2002.

Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre (born 1978 Murdochville, Quebec) is a Montreal-based filmmaker most notable for her animated documentary films. After completing a BFA with honours in animation and an MFA in film production at Concordia University, sh ...

used a mix of archival footage of Jutra with animation to create the 2014 short documentary film '' Jutra''.

Legacy

Besides the film awards (

and

Jutra Award The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec."Claude Jutra had sex with underage boys, new biography alleges"

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...

, February 15, 2016. * Claude-Jutra Crescent, Montreal * Claude-Jutra Park, Montreal * Place Claude-Jutra, Repentigny, Quebec * Claude-Jutra Street, Blainville, Quebec * Claude-Jutra Street, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville * Claude-Jutra Street, Quebec City * Claude-Jutra Street, Levis, Quebec * Jutra Street, Candiac Multiple parks and streets later were renamed or scheduled to be renamed after the pederasty controversy in 2016.

References

External links

''Je m’appelle Claude Jutra,'' an online exhibition
(In French)
Canadian Film Encyclopedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jutra, Claude 1930 births 1986 suicides 20th-century Canadian male actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian screenwriters in French Film directors from Montreal French Quebecers LGBT film directors LGBT screenwriters Canadian gay writers Male actors from Montreal National Film Board of Canada people Suicides by drowning in Canada Suicides in Quebec Writers from Montreal Best Director Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners People with Alzheimer's disease Prix Albert-Tessier winners 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 1986 deaths 20th-century LGBT people