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Mark Blandford
January 24, 1942 - November 2, 2015
Réalisateur, producteur, scénariste, Mark Blandford est décédé soudainement de complications cardiovasculaires le 2 novembre à Montréal, à l’âge de 73 ans. Mark fut un véritable pionnier dans le domaine de la télévision au Canada; il est surtout connu pour les émissions qu’il a produites pour Radio-Canada et C.B.C., dont plusieurs ont été couronnées de divers prix. Il fit des études de cinéma à l’Université Columbia à New York. En 1983, il fut nommé « Grand Montréalais » dans le domaine de la culture. Mark se fit un nom avec des films tels que le controversé docudrame La Crise d’octobre, sur les enlèvements du F.L.Q. en 1970, et la très populaire série biographique sur l’ancien Premier Ministre du Québec, Maurice Duplessis. Mark était bilingue et, dans ses propres mots, « biculturel », ce qui lui a permis d’adapter ses séries ainsi que de grands succès de la scène, tels que La Sagouine et Balconville, pour le public anglophone et francophone. La minisérie Empire Inc., qui remporta un grand succès à la fois critique et populaire, lança la carrière d’un grand nombre de jeunes talents canadiens. Chasing Rainbows fut la première série télévisée au monde filmée en Haute définition. Tout en continuant à réaliser des émissions à succès telles que Les Grands procès, Mark prit la direction de la production dramatique à Radio-Canada et participa à la fondation de l’Institut national de l’image et du son. Mark parlait couramment l’italien et fut conseiller auprès de La Scuola nazionale di cinema d’Aquila en Italie. En 2002, il scénarisa et réalisa Le Journal d’un fou, un documentaire sur son combat de toute une vie contre la dépression. Cette œuvre intimiste lui valut un Prix Gémeaux. Mark fut un champion pour la justice sociale et contribua généreusement à la promotion d’un monde meilleur.
Né à Wimbledon en Angleterre en 1942, Mark était le fils du Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Blandford et de la Baronne Irene von Hünerbein. Mari de feu Sophie Sénécal, il laisse dans le deuil son fils Laurence né de son premier mariage à Bianca Zagolin, son neveu John Moore, ses anciennes conjointes Antonia Zerbisias et Ina Angelidou, de nombreux amis et collègues, sans oublier ses chiens bien-aimés Annie et Kimmy. Une cérémonie commémorative aura lieu le samedi 21 novembre à 14h, au Complexe funéraire Mont-Royal, 1297, Chemin de la Forêt, Outremont, QC, H2V 2P9, (514)279-6540, www.mountroyalcem.com. Au lieu de fleurs, un don peut être fait à la Fondation de l’Institut Douglas (https://www.fondationdouglas.qc.ca/) ou à tout autre organisme consacré à la santé mentale.
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Producer, director and screenwriter Mark Blandford died suddenly of cardiovascular complications on November 2 in Montreal. He was 73. Best known for his award-winning productions for both CBC-TV and Radio-Canada, Mark was a pioneer in Canadian television. A graduate of Columbia University’s film school, he was named “A Great Montrealer” in the cultural field in 1983. He made his mark with programs such as the controversial docudrama The October Crisis about the FLQ kidnappings of 1970 and the immensely popular French-language bio-drama on the life of former Quebec premier Maurice Duplessis. Mark was bilingual and, as he would say, "bicultural," which allowed him to adapt his series as well as hit stage plays La Sagouine and Balconville for English and French-speaking viewers. The miniseries Empire Inc. was a critical and popular success that launched the careers of much young Canadian talent while Chasing Rainbows was the world’s first television series shot in high definition. Mark went on to head French-language drama at Radio-Canada and co-found Quebec’s advanced film school, l’Institut National de l’Image et du Son, even as he remained active as a director and writer of popular shows, including the acclaimed Les Grands Procès. Also fluent in Italian, he served as an advisor to the Scuola Nazionale di Cinema in L’Aquila, Italy. In 2002, he wrote and directed Le Journal d'un Fou (A Madman's Journal), a very personal documentary about his life-long battle with depression, for which he earned a Prix Gémeaux. A champion of social justice, he contributed generously to causes that made this a better world.
Mark was born in Wimbledon, England in 1942 to Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Blandford and Baroness Irene von Hünerbein. Husband of the late Sophie Sénécal, he is survived by Laurence, his son with his first wife Bianca Zagolin, his nephew John Moore, former spouses Antonia Zerbisias and Ina Angelidou, many friends and colleagues, and his beloved dogs Annie and Kimmy. A public memorial will be held Saturday, November 21, 2 pm at the Mount-Royal Funeral Complex at 1297 Chemin de la Forêt in Outremont, QC, H2V 2P9, (514)279-6540, www.mountroyalcem.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Douglas Institute Foundation (www.douglasfoundation.qc.ca) or other mental health organizations.
Né à Wimbledon en Angleterre en 1942, Mark était le fils du Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Blandford et de la Baronne Irene von Hünerbein. Mari de feu Sophie Sénécal, il laisse dans le deuil son fils Laurence né de son premier mariage à Bianca Zagolin, son neveu John Moore, ses anciennes conjointes Antonia Zerbisias et Ina Angelidou, de nombreux amis et collègues, sans oublier ses chiens bien-aimés Annie et Kimmy. Une cérémonie commémorative aura lieu le samedi 21 novembre à 14h, au Complexe funéraire Mont-Royal, 1297, Chemin de la Forêt, Outremont, QC, H2V 2P9, (514)279-6540, www.mountroyalcem.com. Au lieu de fleurs, un don peut être fait à la Fondation de l’Institut Douglas (https://www.fondationdouglas.qc.ca/) ou à tout autre organisme consacré à la santé mentale.
______________________________________________________
Producer, director and screenwriter Mark Blandford died suddenly of cardiovascular complications on November 2 in Montreal. He was 73. Best known for his award-winning productions for both CBC-TV and Radio-Canada, Mark was a pioneer in Canadian television. A graduate of Columbia University’s film school, he was named “A Great Montrealer” in the cultural field in 1983. He made his mark with programs such as the controversial docudrama The October Crisis about the FLQ kidnappings of 1970 and the immensely popular French-language bio-drama on the life of former Quebec premier Maurice Duplessis. Mark was bilingual and, as he would say, "bicultural," which allowed him to adapt his series as well as hit stage plays La Sagouine and Balconville for English and French-speaking viewers. The miniseries Empire Inc. was a critical and popular success that launched the careers of much young Canadian talent while Chasing Rainbows was the world’s first television series shot in high definition. Mark went on to head French-language drama at Radio-Canada and co-found Quebec’s advanced film school, l’Institut National de l’Image et du Son, even as he remained active as a director and writer of popular shows, including the acclaimed Les Grands Procès. Also fluent in Italian, he served as an advisor to the Scuola Nazionale di Cinema in L’Aquila, Italy. In 2002, he wrote and directed Le Journal d'un Fou (A Madman's Journal), a very personal documentary about his life-long battle with depression, for which he earned a Prix Gémeaux. A champion of social justice, he contributed generously to causes that made this a better world.
Mark was born in Wimbledon, England in 1942 to Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Blandford and Baroness Irene von Hünerbein. Husband of the late Sophie Sénécal, he is survived by Laurence, his son with his first wife Bianca Zagolin, his nephew John Moore, former spouses Antonia Zerbisias and Ina Angelidou, many friends and colleagues, and his beloved dogs Annie and Kimmy. A public memorial will be held Saturday, November 21, 2 pm at the Mount-Royal Funeral Complex at 1297 Chemin de la Forêt in Outremont, QC, H2V 2P9, (514)279-6540, www.mountroyalcem.com. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Douglas Institute Foundation (www.douglasfoundation.qc.ca) or other mental health organizations.