Good Riddance

Francis Mankiewicz was a Quebecois director, screenwriter, and producer. His father was a second cousin to the famous brothers Joseph L. and Herman J. Mankiewicz. After working for a time as a geologist, he was drawn to cinema and moved to London to study at the London School of Film Technique. Returning to Quebec, he worked as an assistant director, notably on Denis Héroux's L'amour humain. His first film, The Time of the Hunt (Le temps d’une chasse), was presented at the Venice Film Festival in 1972 and won three awards at the Canadian Film Awards. He achieved significant critical success with his third film, Good Riddance (Les bons débarras), based on an original screenplay by novelist Réjean Ducharme. The film was shown at the Berlin Film Festival before its release in Quebec in the winter of 1980. A blend of naturalism and poetry, it was immediately considered a pivotal work in Quebec cinema, a judgment confirmed over time. The film garnered eight Genie Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Francis Mankiewicz and Réjean Ducharme teamed up again for Happy Memories (Les beaux souvenirs) in 1981. The Revolving Doors (Les portes tournantes, 1988), the last film he directed for the big screen, won an Ecumenical Jury Prize after its presentation at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1993, a few months after his death, he received the Prix Albert-Tessier, the highest honor given to an individual for their outstanding contribution to cinema in Quebec.

Photo: Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise