Jennifer Baichwal

Jennifer Baichwal is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, writer and producer. In 1985, she traveled to Morocco and lived on a farm, inspired by the writing of Paul Bowles, who would become the subject of her first feature-length documentary. Baichwal studied philosophy and theology at McGill University, writing her Master's thesis on Reinhold Niebuhr and receiving her master's in arts in 1994. In 1995, Baichwal traveled with her family to India to scatter the ashes of their late father who had died from heart-related issues. After completing her master's at McGill, Baichwal decided to pursue documentary film work as she found that it provided her the right avenue to explore the questions and issues that she had studied in her program. Baichwal on her career choice: "I wanted to explore these questions of the human condition, but in a medium that was more lateral and more emotionally accessible than an academic paper." She has stated that the documentary "allows you to reflect on ... things that are happening in the real world in a way that is creative". Her films often attempt to investigate problems within documentary film form.

Creator Id: 40
Virtual Collection: Original CCCA
Country of Birth: Canada
Province of Birth: Quebec
Year of Birth: 1965
City: Toronto
Country: Canada
Type of Creator: Artist
Gender: Female
Mediums: film, media, video
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Work by Jennifer Baichwal

Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles

Work ID: 47717

Description: 1998 [75 min. / excerpt: 4 min. 57 sec.]

A feature documentary on the life and work of writer Paul Bowles.

Distributed by Rhombus International, Toronto.

Measurements: 75 mins.

Collection:

Date Made: 1998

Materials: film

Virtual Collection: Original CCCA

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The Holier It Gets

Work ID: 47716

Description: 2000 [48 min. / excerpt: 3 min. 10 sec.]

A documentary following 4 Indo-Canadian siblings who travel to India to disperse their father's ashes in the Ganges.

Distributed by BuzzTaxi, Toronto.

Measurements: 48 mins.

Collection:

Date Made: 2000

Materials: film

Virtual Collection: Original CCCA

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The True Meaning of Pictures

Work ID: 47600

Description: 2002 [71 min. / excerpt: 6 min. 23 sec.]

A feature documentary on the politics of representation in Shelby Lee Adams' Appalacian photographs.

Distributed by Rhombus International, Toronto.

Measurements: 71 mins.

Collection:

Date Made: 2002

Materials: film

Virtual Collection: Original CCCA

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