Internationally acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand, who has written and directed over two dozen films, television shows and documentaries, is the latest person to be featured on a Canadian stamp.
Known for his intellectual curiosity, the Quebec-born Arcand’s career spans over 60 years. Arcand first developed a passion for politics and history while studying at the Université de Montréal, where he also co-wrote and co-directed his first film, Seul ou avec d’autres (1962). A year later, he joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as a documentarian where he began cultivating his reputation for pushing boundaries. His first feature-length documentary On est au coton (1970) was about Quebec’s textile industry – it was so controversial that the NFB waited six years before releasing it.
The cover of a booklet of six Permanent domestic rate stamps.
As he moved into fiction, Arcand found more freedom to express his views and to challenge audiences, which would earn him critical acclaim.
In 1986, he experienced box-office success with Le déclin de l’empire américain. The biting comedy about sexual mores won several honours, including eight Genie Awards. It also became the first Canadian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Arcand would build on this success with hits that include Jésus de Montréal (1989) and Les invasions barbares (2003), which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film – the first for Quebec (and Canada). After more than 60 years in the industry, Arcand, 82, continues to direct.
The cancel site for the first-day cover is Deschambault, Quebec, where Arcand spent his childhood.
Arcand’s many honours include a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 1995 and a Canada’s Walk of Fame induction in 2004. He is also a Companion of the Order of Canada (2004) and a Compagnon de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec (2015).
Released on Tuesday, June 28, the stamp features a black and white photograph by Bertand Carrière of Arcand behind the camera while filming Le déclin de l’empire américain in 1985. Designed by Paprika and printed by Lowe-Martin, the issue includes a booklet of six Permanent domestic rate stamps and an official first-day cover showcasing the photography of Alexandre Isard and Rick Eglinton. The cancel site is Deschambault, Quebec, where Arcand spent his childhood.
The stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and at postal outlets across Canada.