Philippe Falardeau

Quebecois director Philippe Falardeau was born in Hull, Canada in 1968. He was a student of Canadian politics and international relations at university. In 1993 after completing his studies he was chosen as a contestant on the popular Canadian TV series "La Course destination monde," a contest where contestants tour the world, making short films as they travel. Falardeau shot 20 films throughout the course of his tenure on the program, and wound up winning the race as well as the IDRC Award, a research award presented annually to Canadians. In 2000 Falardeau's first feature film "La Moitie gauche du frigo" won "Best Canadian First Feature" at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 2011 Falardeau directed "Monsieur Lazhar," based on the play "Bashir Lazhar," by Evelyne de la Cheneliere. The film was a box-off sleeper but critically acclaimed, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards. In 2014 Falardeau's film "The Good Lie" was released to international audiences. The movie tells the story of four Sudanese refugees, "The Lost Boys of Sudan," who win a lottery allowing them to relocate to the United States. Though they are physically safe from the harm of the war-torn nation they left behind, they struggle psychologically with the aftermath of the horror they witnessed. The movie also starred Reese Witherspoon.