Father Figure

I never met my father. All I’ve known are the facts I collected from my mother over the years. He had blond hair and wore glasses, he was an accomplished pianist, a medical student, a genius, a schizophrenic, a specter.

Then, twelve years ago, a man contacted me out of the blue on Facebook. He was looking for someone with my name and birth date. This man would turn out to be my uncle. My father, Greg, had died and his three brothers thought someone should tell me. They thought I should know.

Father Figure is a short documentary constructed of photographs, home videos, personal narration, and conversations with my father's three brothers as they tell me Greg’s story in their own words. It’s a film about my search for the hazy, shapeless figure that has always been my father and whether we can be something to each other now, after his death.

As human beings, we undertake these kinds of investigations all the time—the act of seeking the truth or the unknown about our ancestry is universal. 

But when we ask: Where do I come from? Who came before me? What we’re really asking is: Who am I?

Documentary Short. Produced by Little Window productions. In production.

Partners: Canada Council for the Arts & Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.