Atom Egoyan

Four-time winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan (b. 1960) began his career while still an undergraduate at the University of Toronto. His first love was playwriting, but he began to see that he could investigate themes emotionally through film-that the camera could play a role. He learned his craft in his own independent films and by directing television episodes before attempting his first feature film, Next of Kin (1984). There he explored the themes of family and identity that continue to interest him today. A frequent winner at film festivals, Egoyan broke through to a general audience with his film Exotica (1994). Since then such films as The Sweet Hereafter (1997) and Felicia's Journey (1999) have gained him wide acclaim. These interviews collected from the last two decades reveal Egoyan's unique themes and his individual, independent approach to filmmaking. He discusses his development as a director, his interest in opera and museum installations, and the expectations he has for his audience. He engages in open, forthright discussions of his work and those who have worked with him. T. J. Morris is professor of English at the University of Indianapolis and has published in Critical Survey of Long Fiction, Mystics Quarterly, and Independent Film and Video Monthly.