Synopsis

Based on an interview in March 2009, Jacques Drouin in Relief is a sensitive portrait of the Mindscape animator, from his childhood in eastern Quebec to his career with the National Film Board of Canada. Drouin trained at the École des beaux-arts de Montreal, in Montreal, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), inheriting Alexander Alexeïeff’s mantle when he began working with the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen in 1974. Drouin speaks of his relationship with the filmmaker and inventor, and he lucidly places each of his own works in context, giving a fascinating exhibition of the creative process. Graced with many clips and previously unseen images from his personal archives, Jacques Drouin in Relief is both the celebration of a life’s work and a valuable lesson in cinema.