Jean-Daniel Lafond
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Jean-Daniel Lafond (born August 18, 1944) is a French-Canadian filmmaker, teacher of philosophy, and the husband to the former Governor General
Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian former journalist who served as the 27th governor general of Canada from 2005 to 2010. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. Jean was the Organisation i ...
, making him the
viceregal consort of Canada The viceregal consort of Canada is the spouse of the serving governor general of Canada, assisting the viceroy with ceremonial and charitable work, accompanying him or her to official state occasions, and occasionally undertaking philanthropic wo ...
during her service.


Biography

Lafond was born in France during the liberation of Paris from the Nazis. After attending the class of
Michel Foucault Paul-Michel Foucault ( , ; ; 15 October 192625 June 1984) was a French History of ideas, historian of ideas and Philosophy, philosopher who was also an author, Literary criticism, literary critic, Activism, political activist, and teacher. Fo ...
and Michel Serres, he taught philosophy from 1971 "while pursuing research in audio-visual training and communications". In 1974 Lafond left France for Quebec and became a Canadian citizen in 1981. After teaching at the
Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (; UdeM; ) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on M ...
he left the university to focus on film-making, radio and writing. From his first marriage Lafond has two daughters, as well as two grandchildren. With his current wife, former Governor General
Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian former journalist who served as the 27th governor general of Canada from 2005 to 2010. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. Jean was the Organisation i ...
, he has an adopted daughter.


Books

* ''Images d'un doux ethnocide'', with Arthur Lamothe, Montréal, Ateliers audio-visuels du Québec, 1979. * ''Vidéo-communication'', with Claire Meunier, Montréal, Publications Grerdave, 1979. * ''Pratique et analyse des médias en milieu éducatif'', Montréal, Publications Grerdave, 1980. * ''Le film sous influence : un procédé d'analyse'', Paris, Édilig, "Médiathèque", 1982. * ''Les traces du rêve'', Montréal, L'Hexagone, 1991. * ''La manière nègre ou Aimé Césaire, chemin faisant : genèse d'un film'', Montréal, L'Hexagone, 1993. * ''La liberté en colère : le livre du film'', Montréal, L'Hexagone, 1994. * ''Iran : les mots du silence'', with Fred A. Reed, Laval, Les 400 Coups, 2006. * ''Conversations in Tehran'', with Fred A. Reed, Vancouver, Talon Books, 2006. * ''Marie de l'Incarnation ou la déraison d'amour'', with
Marie Tifo Marie Tifo (; born September 26, 1949, in Jonquière, Quebec) is a Canadian actress, and a major star in French-speaking Canada. She won a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the 1980 drama f ...
, Montréal, Leméac, 2009. * ''Un désir d'Amérique. Fragments nomades'', Montréal, Édito, 2015.


Introduction

*"Préface : la rencontre", in Olivier Ducharme et Pierre-Alexandre Fradet, ''Une vie sans bon sens. Regard philosophique sur Pierre Perrault'', Montréal, Nota bene, 2016.


Filmography

* ''La Liberté en colère'' * ''Tropique Nord'' * ''Haïti dans tous nos rêves'' * '' Dream Tracks (Les Traces du rêve)'' * ''la Manière nègre ou Aimé Césaire chemin faisant'' * ''L'Heure de Cuba'' * ''Salam Iran'' * ''Le Cabinet du docteur Ferron'' * ''Le Fugitif ou les vérités d'Hassan'' * ''Folle de Dieu'' * ''Un film avec toi''


Distinctions

* Chevalier of l'
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...
, France (2014) * Prize TV5 pour le meilleur documentaire de langue française * Prize Lumières de l'Association québécoise des réalisateurs pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre * Prize Gemini du meilleur réalisateur * Prize Gemini pour l'image * Prize Hot Docs pour le meilleur film politique,
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
* Member
Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; , SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bilingual council of distinguishe ...
* "Saskatchewan Centennial Medal" * Companion of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...


Controversy

When in 2005 his wife was nominated by Prime Minister
Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...
as the next Governor General, controversy arose when his past resurfaced. While the personality of Michaëlle Jean was mostly accepted throughout Canada, Lafond himself had early on been suspected of being a Quebec separatist because of some of his movies. When an article in a sovereigntist journal made its way to the press, alleging that Lafond had befriended a former FLQ (militant Quebec-separatist organization) member who had built for him a cache "to hide weapons" in his library. Later in August, his wife reacted to this in a formal letter announcing she and her husband "had never adhered to a political party or to the sovereigntist ideology". Confusion continues to surround his loyalties. In his book, ''La manière nègre'' (The Black Way), he wrote, "So, a sovereign Quebec? An independent Quebec? Yes, and I applaud with both hands and I promise to be at all the St. Jean aptisteparades." However, in October 2005, in an interview with Radio-Canada he said, "I never believed that I could become a separatist. I have a great deal of difficulty with nationalism in general." He also called members of the sovereigntist movement who had called him a traitor, terrorists. At the same time he affirmed that he was a Québécois before a Canadian. He believes that he has always fought for the "cultural independence" of Quebec, but nothing further.Jean's husband blasts separatists
''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...
'', October 27, 2005
Lafond's 2006 film '' American Fugitive: The Truth About Hassan'', a documentary about American political activist, David Belfield, who has admitted to assassinating an
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ian diplomat in 1980 also stirred controversy. The ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'' asserted that the film was too sympathetic to the activist.American Fugitive:The Truth About Hassan
, '' InformAction''
Lafond's new film hits hot buttons
''
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
'', April 26, 2006
Airbrushing a killer
, ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.
'', May 2, 2006


Honours

In 2010, he was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. As the consort of the then Governor General, in 2005 he was appointed a Companion of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
and was awarded the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal. During his wife's term of office, he held the courtesy style of ''His Excellency.''


Arms


References


External links


Lafond's views on war from a Radio Canada interview
*
La Liberté en colère - Lafond's film on the October Crisis of 1970


{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafond, Jean-Daniel People from Allier 1944 births Living people Canadian documentary film directors Canadian viceregal consorts Companions of the Order of Canada French film directors French emigrants to Canada French emigrants to Quebec Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Naturalized citizens of Canada Film directors from Quebec