André Lamy
Encyclopedia
André Lamy was a Canadian
film producer
, who served as Canada's Government Film Commissioner from 1975 until 1979. In this position he was the Chairman of the National Film Board of Canada
(NFB).
Lamy was born in Montreal
, Quebec
, and studied at two universities; the Université de Montréal
and McGill University
. During the 1960s he worked as a producer for the Montreal-based company Niagara Films, and then later with Onyx Films, a company which was owned by his brother, Pierre Lamy. In this period he worked on several important films, including Claude Fournier
's Deux femmes en or. Released in 1970, this held the record for the most profitable film made in Quebec for the following sixteen years.
In 1970 Lamy was recruited to become the Assistant Film Commissioner of the NFB, making him Sydney Newman
's deputy in the running of the organisation. As Newman spoke only English
, Lamy took a leading role in the NFB's French language
output; Québécois
filmmakers dealt almost entirely with him. It was in this capacity that Lamy drew Newman's attention to potential problems with several politically-sensitive French Canadian
productions made around the time of the October Crisis
, including Denys Arcand
's On est au coton
, which Newman banned from distribution. When Lamy succeeded Newman as Government Film Commissioner in 1975 he authorised the release of several of these same productions, feeling that enough time had elapsed since the October Crisis for their distribution to be a less sensitive matter.
Lamy left his position at the NFB in January 1979. In 1980 he became the head of the Canadian Film Development Commission
, and in 1984 he was responsible for renaming this organisation as "Telefilm Canada", to reflect the fact that it also invested in television as well as film productions.
He was also the executive producer on The Little Flying Bears
and Sharky & George
for CinéGroupe
.
In 1992 he was one of the producers of the controversial documentary series The Valour and the Horror
, a co-production of the NFB and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
. The series was criticised by some veteran
s of World War II
for its accusations of unprosecuted war crime
s committed by Canadian troops
. Reaction to the series was so severe that one of Lamy's successors as Commissioner of the NFB, Joan Pennefather
, was forced to appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs to defend programmes.
An announcement was made on 5 May 2010 that Lamy had died over the previous weekend, 1 or 2 May. James Moore
, the Minister of Canadian Heritage
, was quoted as saying "Lamy's dedication to the NFB and his passion for film serve as reminders of his important contribution to our country's cultural landscape."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, who served as Canada's Government Film Commissioner from 1975 until 1979. In this position he was the Chairman of the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB).
Lamy was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and studied at two universities; the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. During the 1960s he worked as a producer for the Montreal-based company Niagara Films, and then later with Onyx Films, a company which was owned by his brother, Pierre Lamy. In this period he worked on several important films, including Claude Fournier
Claude Fournier (filmmaker)
Claude Fournier is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, editor and cinematographer. He is one of the forerunners of the Cinema of Quebec. He is the twin brother of Guy Fournier....
's Deux femmes en or. Released in 1970, this held the record for the most profitable film made in Quebec for the following sixteen years.
In 1970 Lamy was recruited to become the Assistant Film Commissioner of the NFB, making him Sydney Newman
Sydney Newman
Sydney Cecil Newman, OC was a Canadian film and television producer, who played a pioneering role in British television drama from the late 1950s to the late 1960s...
's deputy in the running of the organisation. As Newman spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Lamy took a leading role in the NFB's French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
output; Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
filmmakers dealt almost entirely with him. It was in this capacity that Lamy drew Newman's attention to potential problems with several politically-sensitive French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
productions made around the time of the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
, including Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand
Georges-Henri Denys Arcand, is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004 for The Barbarian Invasions...
's On est au coton
On est au coton
On est au coton is a documentary film directed by Denys Arcand in 1970, about the conditions of workers in the textile industry in Quebec.-Suppression:...
, which Newman banned from distribution. When Lamy succeeded Newman as Government Film Commissioner in 1975 he authorised the release of several of these same productions, feeling that enough time had elapsed since the October Crisis for their distribution to be a less sensitive matter.
Lamy left his position at the NFB in January 1979. In 1980 he became the head of the Canadian Film Development Commission
Telefilm Canada
Telefilm Canada or Téléfilm Canada is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Canada.It is the primary federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry....
, and in 1984 he was responsible for renaming this organisation as "Telefilm Canada", to reflect the fact that it also invested in television as well as film productions.
He was also the executive producer on The Little Flying Bears
The Little Flying Bears
The Little Flying Bears is an animated television series produced by Zagreb Film and CinéGroupe. It was a Croatian/Canadian co-production which originally aired in 1990.This cartoon helps children realize the importance of protecting the environment...
and Sharky & George
Sharky & George
Sharky & George was a French and Canadian children's TV cartoon, produced by animation studios CinéGroupe and Label 35 between 1988 and 1992. The series consisted of fifty-two 25 minute episodes, including two 12 minute editions which were sometimes aired separately...
for CinéGroupe
CinéGroupe
CinéGroupe Corporation is a Canadian animation studio based in Montreal, Quebec. The company also has offices in nearby Toronto and in the U.S. city of Los Angeles...
.
In 1992 he was one of the producers of the controversial documentary series The Valour and the Horror
The Valour and the Horror
The Valour and the Horror was a Canadian television documentary miniseries, which aired on CBC Television in 1992. It was a co-production between the CBC. the National Film Board of Canada and Galafilm Inc. The films were also broadcast by Radio-Canada, the French network of the CBC...
, a co-production of the NFB and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. The series was criticised by some veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for its accusations of unprosecuted war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s committed by Canadian troops
Military history of Canada during the Second World War
The Second World War officially began on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Britain and France declared war on the Nazi Third Reich on September 3, 1939...
. Reaction to the series was so severe that one of Lamy's successors as Commissioner of the NFB, Joan Pennefather
Joan Pennefather
Joan Pennefather is a Canadian film and cultural executive. She was the first woman to be the Commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada ....
, was forced to appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs to defend programmes.
An announcement was made on 5 May 2010 that Lamy had died over the previous weekend, 1 or 2 May. James Moore
James Moore (Canadian politician)
James Moore, PC, MP is the Canadian Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada...
, the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Minister of Canadian Heritage is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads the Department of Canadian Heritage, the federal government department responsible for Canada's Arts, Culture, Media, Communications network, and Sport....
, was quoted as saying "Lamy's dedication to the NFB and his passion for film serve as reminders of his important contribution to our country's cultural landscape."