Alan Zweig

Alan Zweig is a Toronto documentary filmmaker known for often using film to explore his own life.

In his 2000 film Vinyl, Zweig explores what drives people to become record collectors. Zweig spends a large portion of the film exploring his own life in regard to record collecting, feeling it has prevented him from fulfilling his dreams of a family.[1]

I, Curmudgeon is a 2004 film about self-declared curmudgeons, himself included, which received a Silver Hugo at the 2005 Chicago International Film Festival.[2] The film was shot on a camcorder, with Zweig using a mirror to record his own experiences.[3]

Lovable is a 2007 film about our preoccupation with finding romantic perfection.

In 2009, Zweig moved from autobiographical subject matter to explore the struggle of ex-convicts to lead normal lives in A Hard Name, which received the Genie Award for best documentary.[4]

His 2013 film When Jews Were Funny, an exploration of the role of Jewish comedians in North American comedy and humour,[5] won the prize for Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[6] Again, he uses most of the movie exploring his own position as a Jew married to a non-Jewish woman and a new father.

Honours

Zweig's films have often premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. In 2011, Hot Docs devoted its Focus On screening series to Zweig's work.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Berman, Stuart (October 2000). "Is that your vinyl answer?". CMJ New Music Monthly. pp. 69–70. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  2. ↑ "I, Curmudgeon". HotDocs Doc Library. Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Archived from the original on 24 February 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  3. ↑ ILICH, IAIN (December 2, 2004 Issue #476). "Cranks for the memories". Vue Weekly. Retrieved 7 April 2010. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Hot Docs turns focus on 2 Toronto directors". CBC News. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "TIFF ’13: Zweig remembers the “Funny”". Real Screen, September 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ "TIFF 2013: 12 Years a Slave wins film fest’s top prize". Toronto Star, September 15, 2013.

External links