THIRY-TWO SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD (1993)
- Run Time: 93 min.
- Rating: PG
- Director: Francois Girard
- Writer(s): Francois Girard and Don McKellar
- Producer(s): Michael Allder, Niv Fichman, Barbara Willis Sweete & Larry Weinstein
Stills
Plot Summary
Mirroring the structure of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the recording that made eccentric Canadian pianist Glenn Gould famous, this dramatic documentary is broken up into 32 short pieces. Each short film provides an insight into an aspect of Gould’s life and career. Some are filmed as dramatic recreations, others are more abstract and there is even an animated piece accompanied by a recording of a Gould performance. Colm Feore is brilliant as Gould, humanizing the difficult genius whose studio recordings, imaginative radio “documentaries” and insightful writings are still influential in contemporary classical circles. “Instead of a laborious bio-pic, we get a sly, quick-witted meditation on a character always likely to elude our grasp.” —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker
About the Director
Francois Girard
Montreal filmmaker François Girard began his career making experimental short films, dance and music videos. In the Grammy Award-winning Secret World Live, he captured the excitement of a Peter Gabriel concert. Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould won four Genie Awards, including Best Picture in 1993. The Red Violin won eight Genies, including Best Picture, and an Oscar for Best Original Score. His most recent feature, Silk, was released in 2007.