- published: 18 Feb 2016
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Claude Jutra (March 11, 1930 - November 5, 1986) was a Canadian actor, film director and writer. The Prix Jutra are named in his honor because of his importance in Quebec cinema history. He was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec.
Claude Jutra was born in Montreal, Quebec and studied to be a doctor before turning to his first love, the cinema. In 1954 he went to work at the National Film Board of Canada where he trained in all facets of filmmaking. In 1958 he went to France to work with François Truffaut and Jean Rouch.
With financing and production provided by the National Film Board of Canada, Jutra co-wrote and directed the acclaimed 1971 film Mon oncle Antoine as well as directing several cinema verite shorts such as La lutte and The Devil's Toy. He also co-directed with Norman McLaren and starred in the pixilation short A Chairy Tale.
In 1984, he was awarded the Prix Albert-Tessier, given to individuals for an outstanding career in Québec cinema.
Jutra was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in the early 1980s. He died, an apparent suicide, in 1986. His body was found in the St. Lawrence River some months after he disappeared, with a note in his pocket reading "I Am Claude Jutra."
Actors: Philippe Ralet (editor), Michel Ouellette (producer), Roger La Rue (actor), Didier Lucien (actor), Norman Helms (actor), Jean Petitclerc (actor), Dominique Quesnel (actress), Raymond Saint-Jean (director), Suzanne Lemoine (actress), Dominic Champagne (writer), Dominic Champagne (actor), Pierre Benoît (composer), Julie Castonguay (actress), Linda Brunelle (costume designer), Estelle Esse (actress),
Plot: On a bleak and misty night, Jean Jean, a soul-sick and tormented spectator, watches a macabre show in a dingy cabaret. On stage, the pianist and mistress of ceremonies, known as the Priestess, accompanies a cast of ravaged characters as they perform a tragicomic routine that evokes both the world of dreams and the chaos of contemporary society. A musical show consisting of disjointed cabaret acts, Cabaret Neiges Noires offers a potent mix of satire and fantasy. Featuring burlesque, song and dance, performed brilliantly on stage, as well as a dreamlike ballet which unfolds in settings both real and imaginary, Cabaret Neiges Noires explores the varying, intertwined destinies of its characters.
Keywords: color-in-title