René Balcer (born February 9, 1954) is a Canadian-American

television writer A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, producer, and

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

Early life

He was born in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, and attended

Lower Canada College Lower Canada College (LCC) is an English-language elementary and secondary level independent school located in Montreal, Quebec. The school offers education from Kindergarten through Grade 11. Students graduate from Grade 11 and then have the opt ...

in Montreal. He studied creative writing at

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

under noted Canadian poet Deborah Eibel, and earned his BA

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

Communication Studies Communication studies or communication science is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differen ...

from Concordia in 1978. While a student, he took a six-month lecture-seminar with

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran� ...

and worked as director

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's personal assistant during the filming of ''Angela''. He began his media career covering the 1973

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...

as a cameraman. He later worked as a reporter, editor and film critic for various Canadian publications, and made documentary films 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 f ...

. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles, where he collaborated with cult film director

Monte Hellman Monte Hellman (; born Monte Jay Himmelbaum; July 12, 1929 – April 20, 2021) was an American film director, producer, writer, and editor. Hellman began his career as an editor's apprentice at ABC TV, and made his directorial debut with the ho ...

on a number of film projects. He later wrote screenplays for a variety of film producers including

Francis Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the List of awards and n ...

, Lawrence Gordon,

Steve Tisch Steven Elliot Tisch (born February 14, 1949) is an American film producer and businessman. He is the chairman, co-owner and executive vice president of the New York Giants, the NFL team co-owned by his family, as well as a film and television pr ...

Michael Gruskoff __NOTOC__ Michael Gruskoff is an American film producer. Life and career Born to a American Jews, Jewish family, Gruskoff started his career in the New York mailroom of the William Morris Agency, and then took a job with Creative Management Ass ...

Martin Poll Martin Poll (November 24, 1922 – April 14, 2012) was an American film and television producer. Poll produced eleven feature films during his career, including '' The Lion in Winter'', for which he received a 1968 Academy Award nomination for ...

and

Mace Neufeld Mace Alvin Neufeld (July 13, 1928 – January 21, 2022) was an American film and television producer. Life and career Neufeld was born July 13, 1928, in New York City, New York (state), New York, the son of Margaret Ruth (married and maiden name ...

. In 1988, he helped adapt

Miguel Pinero --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places *Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands * São Miguel (disamb ...

's play ''Midnight Moon at the Greasy Spoon'' for KCRW radio, starring

Ed Asner Eddie Asner (; November 15, 1929 – August 29, 2021) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best remembered for portraying Lou Grant during the 1970s and early 1980s, on both ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' an ...

and

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series ''Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...

. In 1989 he wrote his first television project, the

movie of the week A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

''Out on the Edge'' which won the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...

Award of Excellence. This led to writing assignments on other movies of the week and for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Capital News'', '' Veronica Clare'' and ''

Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a group of supervillain Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. These characters are the pers ...

''.

Career

Balcer is noted for writing and showrunning the television series ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'', and for creating and showrunning its spin-off series ''

Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...

''. He was hired as staff writer on ''Law & Orders first season in 1990, becoming showrunner in the show's seventh season in 1996. During his tenure as showrunner, ''Law & Order'' won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series; became a Top Ten drama in the Nielsen ratings; was syndicated to TNT Network in a deal which at the time was the most expensive off-network series sale ever to cable; received an unprecedented five-season pick-up from NBC; and tied ''Gunsmoke'' for longest-running TV drama. Balcer won an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1997 as Showrunner and Executive Producer of ''Law & Order''. He has also won a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

, a

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

, four

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

s from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

(three for his writing for ''Law & Order'', and a fourth for ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''), a Career Award from the Reims International Television Festival, and a Career Angie Award from the International Mystery Writers Festival. In writing about legal issues, Balcer has drawn on his own experiences with law enforcement and his first-hand encounter with the brutal application of authoritarian power - at age 16, he was picked up as a suspected FLQ sympathizer during Quebec's

October Crisis The October Crisis (french: Crise d'Octobre) refers to a chain of events that started in October 1970 when members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped the provincial Labour Minister Pierre Laporte and British diplomat James C ...

in 1970 and held overnight in the Montreal Police's infamous Station 10 where he was interrogated and beaten, before being released the next day. That experience, he says, gave him a harsh introduction to the reality lived by many disadvantaged communities. His work has been recognized outside the entertainment community: in 1999 and 2000, he received the

Silver Gavel The Silver Gavel Award (also known as the ABA Silver Gavel Awards for Media and The Arts) is an annual award the American Bar Association gives to honor outstanding work by those who help improve comprehension of jurisprudence in the United State ...

Award from the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...

for his ''Law & Order'' episodes " DWB" and "

Hate Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is s ...

"; in 2004, he received a

Margaret Sanger Award The Margaret Sanger Award was an honor awarded annually by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 1966 to 2015. Created to honor the legacy of Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, it is the Federation's highest honor. It ...

from

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

for his ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode "

The Third Horseman The first season of ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', an American police procedural television series, was developed by Dick Wolf and René Balcer. It began airing on September 30, 2001, on NBC, a national broadcast television network in the U ...

"; in 2010, he received the Champion of Justice award from the Washington-based

Alliance for Justice Alliance for Justice (AFJ) is a progressive judicial advocacy group in the United States. Founded in 1979 by former president Nan Aron, AFJ monitors federal judicial appointments. AFJ represents a coalition of 100 politically leftist groups that ...

, for his work on the ''Law & Order'' episode " Memo from the Dark Side". In 2004, he was awarded the ''Alumnus of the Year'' from

. On November 17, 2008, he received an honorary

Doctorate of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

(LLD) from Concordia at their fall convocation and delivered the Commencement Address. Balcer has received additional recognitions, including being commissioned a

Kentucky Colonel Kentucky Colonel is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and is the most well-known of a number of honorary colonelcies conferred by United States governors. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) i ...

by Kentucky Governor

Steve Beshear Steven Lynn Beshear (born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th atto ...

in 2008; in the Season Five episode of ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'', "

In Camelot "In Camelot" is the 59th episode of the HBO original series ''The Sopranos'' and the seventh of the show's fifth season. Written by Terence Winter and directed by Steve Buscemi, it originally aired on April 18, 2004. Starring * James Gandolfini ...

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name * Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...

's writing friend JT (played by

Tim Daly James Timothy Daly (born March 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom ''Wings'' and his voice role as Clark Kent/Superman in '' Superman: The Animated Series'', as well as his recurring role as ...

) tells Chris that he has a meeting with René Balcer about a writing job. Balcer's altercation with a Fox employee during the Writers Guild strike on January 10, 2008 became the subject of a joke by David Letterman during his monologue on January 12, 2008. At the

North Dakota Museum of Art The North Dakota Museum of Art (NDMOA) is the official art museum of the American state of North Dakota. Located on the campus of the University of North Dakota (UND) in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the museum is a private not-for-profit institutio ...

, Balcer's ''Law & Order'' episodes are played in a continuous loop in the installation ''Barton Benes Period Room: 21st Century Artist Studio''. In October 2009, Balcer came under attack by right-wing bloggers for an episode of ''Law & Order'' about the Bush Administration's Enhanced Interrogation policy. Writing in

Breitbart ''Breitbart News Network'' (known commonly as ''Breitbart News'', ''Breitbart'', or ''Breitbart.com'') is an American far-rightMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * syndicated news, opinion, and commentary website founded in mid-2007 b ...

, former ''Law & Order'' star

Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor and jazz musician. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his first acting role on American television as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 mini-series ''Holocaust'' ...

accused Balcer of being a "Marxist agent provocateur." Balcer said of the attacks, "What many of these critics fail to realize is that ''Law & Order'' has always been an equal-opportunity offender, and if a Democratic administration had implemented this despicable (torture) policy, our show would have taken them to task for it." Balcer was

for ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' through the fifth season. In March 2007, Balcer returned to ''Law & Order'' at the end of its 17th season as executive producer and head writer. He continued on as showrunner through the show's 20th and final season, writing and directing the show's series finale " Rubber Room", which the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called the "best finale of all" that season's TV series. In June 2010, he was hired as showrunner of the ''Law & Order'' spinoff, '' Law & Order: Los Angeles''. ''LOLA'', as it was called, was cancelled after one season, with Balcer again writing and directing the series finale. Balcer then rewrote the series finale of ''Law & Order Criminal Intent'', bringing to a close his long association with the ''Law & Order'' franchise. In 2012, Balcer created the series '' Jo'', an English-language cop drama set in Paris and starring

Jean Reno Jean Reno () (born 30 July 1948), is a French actor. He has worked in American, French, English, Japanese, Spanish and Italian movie productions; Reno appeared in films such as ''Crimson Rivers'', ''Godzilla'', ''The Da Vinci Code'', '' Mission: ...

Wunmi Mosaku Oluwunmi Mosaku (born 1986) is a Nigerian-born British actress. She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries ''Moses Jones'' (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series '' Vera'' (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best S ...

and Celyn Jones. Shot in Paris, the eight-episode series premiered internationally in January 2013. ''Jo'' was ranked fourth in a listing of the Top 30 Best French Detective Series. In 2013, he served as showrunner and executive producer of the CBS pilot, ''The Ordained'', with

Charlie Cox Charlie Thomas Cox (born 15 December 1982) is an English actor. He is known for portraying Matt Murdock / Daredevil in several projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, including lead roles in the television series ''Daredevil'' (201 ...

. In 2013, Balcer made two short videos: ''Watching Tea Leaves in Shanxi'', was shot in China and is a

zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...

on the dynamics of tea leaves in fluid, the video is available on Vimeo and YouTube; the other, ''Blue Sky'', was shot in Nice, France and is an "unhinged zen piece" featuring the music of Chinese contemporary composer

Huang Ruo Huang Ruo (黃若, born 1976) is a Chinese-born composer, pianist and vocalist who now lives in the United States. Biography Born on Hainan Island off the southern coast of China in 1976, Huang was taught piano and composition from the age o ...

, the video is available on Vimeo and YouTube. In 2015, Balcer wrote and produced ''For Justice'', a pilot for CBS directed by

Ava DuVernay Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee ...

, and developed a series about the porn world in the early 1980s with

Owen Wilson Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...

for the

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

channel entitled ''WonderWorld'',. In 2016, the CBC and NBC green lighted Balcer's environmental thriller ''The Council'' set in the Canadian Arctic. In 2017, Balcer co-directed, co-wrote and produced the documentary ''Above the Drowning Sea'', narrated by

Julianna Margulies Julianna Margulies (; born June 8, 1966) is an American actress. After several small television roles, Margulies achieved wide recognition for her starring role as Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama series '' ER'' (1994–2009) ...

and

Tony Goldwyn Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...

. The documentary tells the epic story of thousands of Austrian Jewish refugees who escaped the Holocaust and found refuge in Shanghai. The film has been the Official Selection at 31 international film festivals, winning the Golden Dragon Award for Best Documentary at the Ferrara Film Festival along with other awards and nominations at other festivals. In the summer of 2017, Balcer wrote and produced the limited series '' Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders'', a kaleidoscopic take on the notorious 1989 murders of Beverly Hills socialites by their sons. Created by Balcer, the series stars

Edie Falco Edith Falco (born July 5, 1963) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Carmela Soprano on the HBO series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), and Nurse Jackie Peyton on the Showtime series ''Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2015). She also ...

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. After appearing in television commercials, her first starring role in a feature film came with the teen comedy '' License to Drive'' (1988), followed by the critically acclaime ...

Josh Charles Joshua Aaron Charles (born September 15, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for the roles of Dan Rydell on '' Sports Night; '' Will Gardner on ''The Good Wife'', which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations; and his early wo ...

Elizabeth Reaser Elizabeth Ann Reaser (born July 2, 1975) is an American film, television, and stage actress. Her work includes the films ''Stay'', ''The Family Stone'', ''Sweet Land'', '' Against the Current'', '' The Twilight Saga'', ''Young Adult'', and '' Oui ...

and Anthony Edwards. The eight-episode series aired in the Fall of 2017 on NBC. In 2019, Balcer created '' FBI: Most Wanted''. The series stars

Julian McMahon Julian Dana William McMahon (born 27 July 1968) is an Australian actor, former model, and the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia, Sir William McMahon. He is best known for his roles as Detective John Grant in '' Profiler'', Cole Turn ...

Kellan Lutz Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor and model. He made his film debut in ''Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has since played Pos ...

Keisha Castle-Hughes Keisha Castle-Hughes (born 24 March 1990) is an Australian-born New Zealand actress who rose to prominence for playing Paikea "Pai" Apirana in the film '' Whale Rider''. She was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Bes ...

, Roxy Sternberg and

Nathaniel Arcand Nathaniel Arcand (born November 13, 1971) is a Canadian actor. He is known for his first major role in the Canadian drama series ''North of 60'', in which for three seasons he played William MacNeil, smart-mouthed and cocky, a troubled, misunders ...

, and premiered on CBS on January 7, 2020. It was that season's highest-rated new drama. '' FBI: Most Wanted'' was renewed for a fourth and fifth season on May 9, 2022. Balcer has served on the jury for Best Drama Series at the 2013

Monte-Carlo Television Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony ...

, and on the jury for Best Television Miniseries or Film at the 2014

Shanghai Television Festival The Shanghai Television Festival (), abbreviated STVF, also known as the Shanghai International Television Festival is the first and one of the largest television festivals in East Asia. Held since 1986, STVF has become one of the most influential ...

. During his early days in Hollywood, Balcer was an usher at the

Tiffany Theater The Tiffany Theater was the first theater on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It stood west of La Cienega between the Playboy Club and Dino's Lodge restaurant. Before being converted from the Mary Webb Davis Modeling School office ...

in 1981 for its famous midnight and 2 am screenings of the cult classic

Rocky Horror Picture Show ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 Musical film, musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White (producer), Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman an ...

. Balcer is a distant cousin of actress

Alana de la Garza Alana de la Garza (born June 18, 1976) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Connie Rubirosa on the NBC television series ''Law & Order'' in its last four seasons through 2010, ''Law & Order: LA'' until the show's conclusion in 2 ...

, sharing a common relative

Juan Cortina Juan Nepomuceno Cortina Goseacochea (May 16, 1824 – October 30, 1894), also known by his nicknames Cheno Cortina, the Red Robber of the Rio Grande and the Rio Grande Robin Hood, was a Mexican rancher, politician, military leader, outlaw a ...

, a Mexican folk hero known as the Rio Grande Robin Hood.

Other activities

In the summer of 2011, Balcer collaborated with Chinese artist

Xu Bing Xu Bing (; born 1955) is a Chinese artist who served as vice-president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. He is known for his printmaking skills and installation art, as well as his creative artistic use of language, words, and text and how t ...

on an artwork that was part of Xu Bing's exhibition ''Tobacco Project Virginia'' at the

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, or VMFA, is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, United States, which opened in 1936. The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the su ...

in September of that year. ''The Washington Post'' named ''Tobacco Project Virginia'' one of the Top Ten art exhibitions of 2011. Balcer's contribution—a poem entitled ''Backbone'' using Virginia tobacco plantation brand names as a tribute to the enslaved black women who picked the tobacco—was integrated by Xu Bing into an installation. The work is now part of the VMFA's permanent collection. Balcer later turned the poem into a blues song, ''Backbone'' (Mattawin Music), featuring the blues artists Captain Luke on vocals and Big Ron Hunter on guitar and produced by Michael Sackler-Berner. ''Backbone'' was exhibited at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut in 2012, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Asia Society Hong Kong Center in 2014, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2015 at SCADA in 2015-16, and at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing in the fall of 2018. Balcer produced a film documenting Xu Bing's ''Tobacco Project: Virginia'' (2011). In 2006, Balcer donated a collection of works by the Japanese woodblock artist

Kawase Hasui was an artist, one of modern Japan's most important and prolific printmakers. He was a prominent designer of the '' shin-hanga'' ("new prints") movement, whose artists depicted traditional subjects with a style influenced by Western art. Like ma ...

to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The René and Carolyn Balcer Collection comprises some 800 works and includes woodblock prints, watercolors, screens, sketches and other works and writings by Hasui. A major exhibit of the collection, ''Hasui: Water & Shadow'', opened at the VMFA in November 2014 and ran until March 2015. In 2010, through his Mattawin Company, Balcer sponsored the publication of a 13-volume catalogue of the works of the Wuming (No Name) Group, a cooperative of underground Chinese artists during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. In the fall of 2011, Balcer and his wife Carolyn organized and sponsored the exhibition ''Blooming in the Shadows: Unofficial Chinese Art 1974–1985'' at New York's China Institute, featuring works from the Wuming, Stars and Grass groups of experimental artists. A larger iteration of the exhibit, ''Light Before Dawn'', opened at the new Asia Society Museum in Hong Kong in May 2013. The exhibit was accompanied by a new documentary written and produced by Balcer, ''The No Name Painting Association'', about the Wuming Group. The documentary was an official selection at some thirty festivals in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia, garnering a dozen awards and nominations. In 2011, Mattawin sponsored the publication of a book of photographs by Chinese artist

Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly c ...

, ''Ai Weiwei New York 1983–1993''. In 2014, it sponsored the art exhibit ''Oil and Water: Reinterpreting Ink'' at New York's

Museum of Chinese in America The Museum of Chinese in America (; abbreviated MOCA) is a museum in New York City which exhibits Chinese American history. It is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education and cultural institution that presents the living history, heritage, culture, and d ...

. Mattawin also co-published ''A Token of Elegance'' (2015), a historical and photo survey of cigarette holders as ''objets d'art''; ''Chow! Secrets of Chinese Cooking'' (2020), an updated edition of a timeless classic about Chinese cuisine and culture and winner of a 2021 Gourmand World Cookbook Award; and the historical biographies ''

Kuo Ping-Wen Kuo Ping-Wen or Guo Bingwen (; 1880–1969), courtesy name Hongsheng (鴻聲), was an influential Chinese educator. Biography Kuo was born in Shanghai, Jiangsu province, and his father was an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He attended Lowri ...

, Scholar, Reformer, Statesman'' (2016) and ''

C.T. Wang Chengting Thomas Wang or C. T. Wang (, 7 September 1882 – 21 May 1961), also known under the Pinyin spelling Wang Zhengting, was Foreign Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Justice and acting Premier in governments of the Republic of Chin ...

: Looking Back and Looking Forward'' (2008). Balcer has contributed essays to ''Impressions: The Journal of the Japanese Art Society of America'', and ''It Begins with Metamorphosis: Xu Bing''. Balcer has lectured widely about writing, art and the duties of artists in free societies, notably at Columbia,

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

UPenn The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

, and Loyola Marymount; at

Internews Internews Network, now Internews, is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in California, formed in 1982. It was founded by David M. Hoffman, Kim Spencer, and Evelyn Messinger. The president and CEO is Jeanne Bourgault. Internews Europe is an i ...

(Moscow), the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

(Paris),

Central Academy of Fine Arts The Central Academy of Fine Arts or CAFA is an art academy under the direct charge of the Ministry of Education of China. The Manila Bulletin calls the school "China’s most prestigious and renowned art academy". It is one of the most selectiv ...

(Beijing),

Museum of Fine Arts Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1988. Originally launched as film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for pr ...

(Toronto),

Deauville American Film Festival The Deauville American Film Festival (french: Festival du cinéma américain de Deauville, link=no) is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Cho ...

Banff World Media Festival The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world ...

Monte Carlo TV Festival The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the Principality of Monaco at the Grimaldi Forum, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introdu ...

, International Ukiyo-e Society (Tokyo), and

SPAA An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system (SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability. Specific weapon systems used include machine guns, ...

Conference (Brisbane).

Filmography

*''Averbach Vs. Zak'' (1976) Short *''Solid State'' (1976) Short *''Turcot Interchange'' (1978) Short *''Twist of Fate'' (1979) Short *''Out on the Edge'' (1989) TV movie *''

'' (1990) TV series *'' Solar Crisis'' (1990) Feature Film - Uncredited Rewrite *''Stranger in the Family'' (1991) TV movie *''

'' (1990–2010) TV series *'' Star Trek:The Next Generation'' (1992) TV Series *''

The Crow The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at t ...

'' (1994) Feature Film - Uncredited Rewrite *''

Judge Dredd Judge Joseph Dredd is a fictional character created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. He first appeared in the second issue of ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977), which is a British weekly anthology Comic book, comic. He is the ...

'' (1995) Feature Film - Uncredited Rewrite *''People V'' (1995) TV movie *''Mission Protection Rapprochée'' (1997) TV series *'' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (1999) TV series *''Hopewell'' (2000) TV movie *''

'' (2001–2011) TV series *''Proof of Lies'' (2006) TV movie *''Paris Criminal Inquiries'' (2007–2008) TV series *''Law & Order Criminal Intent Russia'' (2007–2009) TV series *'' Law & Order: UK'' (2009–2014) TV series *''Xu Bing Tobacco Project Virginia'' (2011) Documentary Short *'' Law & Order LA'' (2011) TV series *''The Ordained'' (2013) TV movie *''Watching Tea Leaves in Shanxi'' (2013) Video Short *'' Jo'' (2013) TV series *''The No Name Painting Association'' (2013) Documentary Short *''Blue Sky'' (2013) Video Short *''For Justice'' (2015) TV Movie *''Big Orange Predator'' (2016) Video Short *''The Legend of Embroidery'' (2017) Documentary Short *'' Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders'' (2017) Mini-series *''Above The Drowning Sea'' (2017) Documentary Feature *''

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

'' (2019) TV series *'' FBI: Most Wanted'' (2020) TV series

Awards and nominations

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

* 1994 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as producer * 1995 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as supervising producer * 1996 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as co-executive producer * 1997 Won for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as executive producer * 1998 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as executive producer * 1999 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as executive producer * 2000 Nominated for Best Drama Series ''Law & Order'' as executive producer

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Guil ...

* 1998 Won for Best Episode Episodic Drama * 2000 Nominated for Best Episode Episodic Drama

* 1997 Won for ''Law & Order''

Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

* 1998 Nominated for Best Television Series - Drama ''Law & Order'' as executive producer * 1999 Nominated for Best Television Series - Drama ''Law & Order'' as executive producer

–

* 1993 Won for Best Television Episode + One Nomination * 1994 Nominated for Best Television Episode * 1995 Nominated for Best Television Episode * 1998 Two Nominations for Best Television Episode * 1999 Won for Best Television Episode * 2000 Won for Best Television Episode + Two Nominations * 2003 Nominated for Best Television Episode * 2004 Nominated for Best Television Episode * 2005 Won for Best Television Episode + Three Nominations

Producers Guild of America Award The Producers Guild of America Awards were originally established in 1990 by the Producers Guild of America as the Golden Laurel Awards, created by PGA Treasurer Joel Freeman with the support of Guild President Leonard Stern, in order to honor ...

* 1997 Won for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television

* 1989 Award of Excellence

Advocates for Youth Advocates for Youth is a nonprofit organization and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, dedicated to sexuality education, the prevention of HIV and of sexually transmitted disease, teenage pregnancy prevention, youth access ...

* 1995 Nancy Susan Reynolds Award International Monitor Award * 1999 Best Achievement for Film Originated Television Series ABA

Silver Gavel Award The Silver Gavel Award (also known as the ABA Silver Gavel Awards for Media and The Arts) is an annual award the American Bar Association gives to honor outstanding work by those who help improve comprehension of jurisprudence in the United State ...

for the Media & the Arts * 1999

for Television * 2000

for Television

*2004

Banff Television Festival The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world ...

* 2006 Nominated for

Banff Rockie Award The Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The festival is dedicated to world t ...

for Best Television Series Reims International Television Festival * 2006 Best Series or Serial * 2006 Career Award International Mystery Writers Festival *2010 Career Angie Award

* 2010 Champion of Justice Award Alliance for Children's Rights * 2010 National Champion for Children Award Indie Fest * 2013 Award of Merit for Best Documentary Short California International Shorts Festival * 2013 Won for Best Documentary Short Accolade Competition * 2013 Award of Merit for Best Short Documentary Best Shorts Competition * 2013 Award of Excellence for Best Short Documentary Kansas City Film Festival * 2014 Won for Best US/International Short Documentary Richmond International Film Festival * 2014 Best of Festival for Documentary Short Film

USA Film Festival The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

* 2014 Nominated for Grand Prize Best Documentary Short Williamsburg Independent Film Festival * 2014 Distinctive Honors for Best Documentary Short Portsmouth International Film Festival * 2014 Won for Best Short Documentary Madrid International Film Festival * 2014 Nominated for Best Documentary Short * 2018 Nominated for Best Director of a Feature Documentary * 2018 Nominated for Scientific and Educational Award Miami Film Festival * 2018 Nominated for Knight Documentary Achievement Award Pasadena International Film Festival * 2018 Nominated for Best Documentary Ferrara Film Festival * 2018 Golden Dragon Award for Best Documentary * 2018 Nominated for Best Cinematography for a Feature New Jersey International Film Festival * 2018 Honorable Mention, Best Documentary Hamilton Film Festival * 2018 Best Documentary Sunrise Film Festival * 2019 Best Documentary

Columbus International Film & Video Festival The Columbus International Film + Animation Festival is a Columbus, Ohio, United States annual film festival which is designed to encourage and promote the use of film and video in all forms of education and communication. It is the first and ol ...

* 2019 Honorable Mention for Best Documentary

References

External links

Rene Balcer on Cop Shows, Black Lives Matter and more
by Adi Tantimedh Bleeding Cool News

by Kitteridge
Balcer debates FCC commissioner on TV Violence
Wall Street Journal
Rene Balcer on NPR's ''Talk of the Nation''

Vanity Fair Article

* ttp://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/ September 25 2009 interview by Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald on torture and L & O 20th Season premiere
NPR Interview with Rene Balcer and Walter Moseley

NPR interview with Balcer re:choosing stories

Harper's Magazine Interview with Rene Balcer

America Magazine Interview with Rene Balcer

Article on Balcer's Beijing Speech

NPR interview with Balcer on 5/24/10 re: series finale

Concordia University Honorary Degree Citation
November 2008, Concordia University Records {{DEFAULTSORT:Balcer, Rene 1954 births Anglophone Quebec people Canadian screenwriters Canadian television producers Canadian television writers Concordia University alumni Living people Edgar Award winners Emmy Award winners Writers from Montreal Showrunners