Interview with French Canadian film director Denys Arcand by Kevin Courrier, in 1986. At the time of the interview, Arcand's film Le Déclin de l'empire américain (The Decline of the American Empire) has just been released. The movie would go on to win nine Genie Awards (including Best Motion Picture) and become the first Canadian film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Arcand also wrote and filmed two sequels for Le Declin, 2003's Les Invasions barbares (The Barbarian Invasions) and 2007's L'Âge des ténèbres (Days of Darkness). Both movies would also be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, with Les Invasions winning – becoming the first Canadian film ever so honoured.
The segment first aired on the radio show On the Arts, on CJRT-FM in Toronto in 1986. For more from Kevin Courrier, and other arts critics, visit us at www.criticsatlarge.ca.
