René Balcer (born February 9, 1954) is a

Canadian-American Canadian Americans () are Citizenship of the United States, American citizens or in some uses residents whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadians, Canadian, or citizens of either country who hold dual citizenship. Today, many Canadian American ...

television writer A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

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 is the top-level executive producer of a television series. The position outranks other creative and management personnel, including episode directors, in contrast to feature films, in which the director has creative control over th ...

, as well as a photographer and documentary film-maker.

Early life

He was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, and attended

Lower Canada College Lower Canada College (LCC) is an English-language Elementary school, elementary and Secondary school, secondary level independent school located in Montreal, Quebec. It is located in the Monkland Village area of the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourho ...

in Montreal. He studied creative writing at

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

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 Sout ...

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 differ ...

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 and 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 ...

and worked as director

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

'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 fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...

as a cameraman. He later worked as a reporter, editor and film critic for various Canadian publications including

Cinema Canada ''Cinema Canada'' (1972–1989) is a defunct Canadian film magazine, which served as the trade journal of record for the Canadian film and television sector. The magazine had its origins in the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), which be ...

, and made documentary films at the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

. 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 filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Coppola is the recipient of five Academy Awards, a BAFTA Aw ...

, 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 p ...

, Michael Gruskoff,

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 Morris "Mace" Alvin Neufeld (July 13, 1928 – January 21, 2022) was an American film and television producer. Born in New York City, Neufeld began working in the entertainment industry as a songwriter and production assistant in the late 1940s a ...

. 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 (disam ...

'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. He is most notable for portraying Lou Grant on the sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977) and drama '' Lou Grant'' (1977–1982), making him one of the few ...

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 Columbo (character), Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC series ''Columbo'' (196 ...

. 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, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a terrestr ...

''Out on the Edge'' which won the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

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 ''Capital News'' is an American drama television series that aired on ABC in 1990. Starring Lloyd Bridges, Helen Slater, and William Russ. ''Capital News'' was created by David Milch and Christian Williams. Synopsis The series focused on th ...

'', '' Veronica Clare'' and '' Nasty Boys''.

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 and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...

'', and for creating and showrunning its spin-off series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. 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 television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

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 Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

, 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 which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

s from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is a professional 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 E ...

(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 () was a chain of political events in Canada 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 Cross f ...

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 Award from the

American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...

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

Hate Hatred or hate 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. Ha ...

"; in 2004, he received a Margaret Sanger Award from

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

for his ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode " The Third Horseman"; in 2010, he received the Champion of Justice award from the Washington-based

Alliance for Justice An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

, 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 Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

(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 US state of Kentucky. It is the most well-known colonelcy in the United States. A Kentucky Colonel Commission (the certificate) is awarded in the name of the Commonwealth by the go ...

by Kentucky Governor

Steve Beshear Steven Lynn Beshear ( ; born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 ...

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 series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'', " In Camelot",

Chris Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, and Christine. 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), Nigerian autho ...

's writing friend JT (played by

Tim Daly James Timothy Daly (born March 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom '' Wings'' and his recurring role as drug-addicted screenwriter J.T. Dolan on ''The Sopranos.'' He starred as Pete ...

) 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, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the museum is a private not-for-profit institution. ...

, 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 Radical right (United States), American far-rightMultiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * syndicated news, opinion, and commentar ...

, former ''Law & Order'' star

Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his role as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 miniseries ''Holocaust'' and a Tony Award in 1974 for his performance in the ...

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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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 Juan Moreno y Herrera-Jiménez (born 30 July 1948), commonly known as Jean Reno (), is a French-Spanish actor. He established himself as a Leading actor, leading man of French cinema through his collaborations with director Luc Besson, and has w ...

Wunmi Mosaku Oluwunmi Mosaku (; born July 31, 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 ...

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-American actor. He is best-known for portraying Matt Murdock / Daredevil in seven projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading the television series '' Daredevil'' (2015–2018) a ...

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

zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...

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 of ...

, 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, screenwriter, and producer. She is a recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Image Awards, a British Academy Film Awards, ...

, 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 frequently worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson, with whom he has shared writing and acting credits on the films '' Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and ''T ...

for the

Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

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 received wide recognition for her starring role as Carol Hathaway in the NBC medical drama series '' ER'' (1994–2000; 2009), fo ...

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 was an 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. A prominent figure in American television, she is known for her roles both on stage and screen and has received numerous accolades including four Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe A ...

Heather Graham Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress. The accolades she has received include nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and an Independent Spirit Award. After appearing in tel ...

Josh Charles Joshua Aaron Charles (born September 15, 1971) is an American film, television, and theater 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 Awar ...

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 '' ...

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-American actor. He is the only son of Sir William McMahon, a former Prime Minister of Australia. He is best known for his roles as Ben Lucini in ''Home and Away'', Detective Joh ...

Kellan Lutz Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor, martial artist 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 ...

, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Roxy Sternberg and Nathaniel Arcand, and premiered on CBS on January 7, 2020. It was that season's highest-rated new drama. '' FBI: Most Wanted'' was renewed for a sixth season on April 9, 2024. 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 independent film, independent Musical film, musical comedy horror film produced by Lou Adler and Michael White (producer), Michael White, directed by Jim Sharman, and distributed by 20th Century Stu ...

. 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 for the final 4 seasons of the initial run of the NBC television series '' Law & Order'', as well as in the spinoffs '' Law & Order: LA ...

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

Other activities

In November 2023, ''René Balcer: Seeing As'', a retrospective of Balcer's street and landscape photography, was published by ACC Art Books (UK). Writing in the book's introduction, art historian Robert Hobbs wrote, "Balcer’s most distinctive images participate in the grand historical and metaphorical tradition that joins photography with detective work; the flâneur’s openness to a changing world with urban crimes; and 'seeing as' with eminently metaphoric meanings. Balcer’s type of forensic aesthetic resonances with photography’s history, with Barthes’ assessment of its noeme, and with our preponderantly surveillant society in which even an innocent trip to a cash machine can conceivably be viewed as a potential crime setting, making this aesthetic both ubiquitous in our time and especially relevant to it." Balcer's photo work has appeared in

Montreal Star ''The Montreal Star'' was an English language, English-language Canada, Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It closed in 1979 in the wake of an eight-month pressmen's strike. It was Canada's largest newspaper until the 1950 ...

, and in ''Impressions: the Journal of the Japanese Art Society of America Vol. 32''. On June 20, 2024, Balcer's first solo photography show in New York City opened at the Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary Gallery. The show, ''René Balcer: Forensics'', focused on his photography work in Argentina - "In ''Forensics'', Balcer’s photos speak to the complicity of silence during the years of modern-day ''caudillos'' in Latin America and to society’s willful blindness in the face of today’s rising authoritarianism in the Americas. In making these images, Balcer was moved by his own experiences during Québec’s 1970 October Crisis in his native Montréal." This was followed by ''Hidden Stories'' at Alisan Fine Arts Gallery in New York in November/December 2024; the show focused on Balcer's photos of Inuit communities in Canada's Eastern Arctic, referencing the Inuit's history of forced relocations and other encounters with settler culture. 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 ...

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 (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 supp ...

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 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 Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...

. 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 ( ; , IPA: ; 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 ...

, ''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. 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 Lowr ...

, Scholar, Reformer, Statesman'' (2016) and '' C.T. Wang: 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, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a non-denominational all-male institutio ...

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

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

, UPenn, and

Loyola Marymount Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. LMU enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, making it the largest Catholic university on the west coast of the ...

; 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 a ...

(Moscow), the Sorbonne (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 considered one of the most ...

(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 work ...

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

(Toronto),

Deauville American Film Festival The Deauville American Film Festival () is a yearly film festival devoted to Cinema of the United States, American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France. It was established by Lionel Chouchan, André Halimi, and then ...

Banff World Media Festival Founded in 1979, 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 Banff Springs Hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canad ...

, Monte Carlo TV Festival, 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 warfare, anti-aircraft capability. Specific weapon systems used ...

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 *'' Nasty Boys'' (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 fianc� ...

'' (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 the British weekly anthology Comic book, comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' (1977). He is the magazi ...

'' (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 *'' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (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 Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

'' (2019) TV series *'' FBI: Most Wanted'' (2020-2025) TV series *'' Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent'' (2024) TV series *''From Where I Stand'' (2024) Documentary Short

Awards and nominations

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

* 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 (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...

* 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 awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

* 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 Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes ...

* 1997 Won for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television

* 1989 Award of Excellence

Advocates for Youth An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries and legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. Howeve ...

* 1995 Nancy Susan Reynolds Award International Monitor Award * 1999 Best Achievement for Film Originated Television Series ABA Silver Gavel Award for the Media & the Arts * 1999 Silver Gavel Award for Television * 2000 Silver Gavel Award for Television

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

*2004 Margaret Sanger Award

Banff Television Festival Founded in 1979, 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 c ...

* 2006 Nominated for Banff Rockie Award 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 * 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 A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually ann ...

* 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 male screenwriters Canadian television producers Canadian male television writers Canadian television writers Concordia University alumni Living people Edgar Award winners Primetime Emmy Award winners Writers from Montreal Writers Guild of America Award winners Showrunners 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 20th-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian male writers Screenwriters from Quebec