Jean-Marc Vallée

"CUT, print, thank you, bye?" was the frequent phrase heard at the end of a Jean-Marc Vallée shoot. One that the director used so succinctly to mark the final frames of a feature in the care of his remarkable vision. Jean-Marc Vallée was a renowned filmmaker — one of Canada's most honored talents. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, he studied filmmaking at the Collège Ahuntsic and the Université du Québec — Montréal. Through his directing, writing, editing and producing, he poured himself into telling stories of people who were lost or hurt in pursuit of healing.

His feature film debut was with the film Black List (Liste Noire) in 1995. Its success as Quebec's highest grossing picture that year propelled Jean-Marc toward future projects including C.R.A.Z.Y., a critically acclaimed film centered around a young man dealing with homophobia in the 1960s. In 2009 he was tapped by Martin Scorsese to direct the period drama Young Victoria starring Emily Blunt. The film centers around the early years of Queen Victoria and received three Academy Award nominations. Garnering three Oscars and three additional Oscar nominations for Dallas Buyers Club (2013), he was also a key driving force behind Wild (2014), Demolition (2015), the HBO series Big Little Lies (2017–19), and Sharp Objects (2018).

Jean-Marc's film style encompassed a naturalistic spirit that used handheld camera techniques with natural lighting. His ability to draw out authentic and moving performances led Vallée to be recognized as an "actor's director." Jean-Marc directed three Emmy Award-winning performances and four Oscar-nominated performances, of which two won. He was sought by many leading actors in hopes that his cinematic genius would help them elevate their performances to unique and profound levels. The connection forged in the process went far beyond the captured image. Following his sudden death came an outpouring of sentiment mourning his loss.

Nathan Ross — Executive Producer

Dallas Buyers Club — Wild — Demolition — Big Little Lies — Sharp Objects

I met Jean-Marc in the fall of 2005 at the Toronto Film Festival. He was a new filmmaker from his beloved Montreal. I was a new motion picture literary agent at ICM in Los Angeles, on the hunt for new and unique filmmakers. I hadn't planned to see his French language film C.R.A.Z.Y. premiering there with minimal fanfare, but I had some free time in between my scheduled films and meetings, and I liked the write-up on it. Needless to say, I was blown away and as fate would have it, I had the privilege and honor of leading the charge in introducing and establishing him as one of the new and exciting voices of cinema, and later high-end television. His mesmerizing use of music and emotion-based storytelling instinctually moved me to know that he was an artist that I wanted to represent and work with.

Eventually I transitioned to becoming his producing partner, and we became close friends, brothers and allies. We had a strong bond and trust. I learned a lot from him, and he was a hell of a guy — funny, moody, charming, focused, generous, occasionally not the easiest to deal with, but who is? I was always quite protective of JMV — trying to handle the sorts of things in filmmaking and business one needs to deal with so he could stay creative, within his artistic cocoon in Montreal, or on set. We had an unbelievable 16-year partnership. In the last 10 years of that working relationship, we made Dallas Buyers Club, Wild, Demolition, Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects — projects we and our collaborators were all supremely proud of. We traveled the world, went on adventures, and have stories and experiences that I'll never forget.

Jean-Marc Vallée & Krista Kleiner

Jean-Marc Vallée, Asel Sherniyazova, Georges Chamchoum (Director Asian World Film Festival), Krista Kleiner

I was the first person in the States to hear of his passing. He was in a very good place, with us closing in on a film about John & Yoko. He called and left a touching voicemail a few hours before he left us. The outpouring was immense — he touched a lot of people, which I believe was his one specific goal in storytelling: to move people. To me what hits home is that he had more stories to tell. More to give. More people to move. I feel lucky and fortunate to have crossed paths and gone on this journey with him. He would always call me "the man," but that was what he was: "The Man." JMV will be sorely missed, but as they say, the work will live on. Him leaving us and the sudden way he did is a reminder for us all to live life with passion, full of emotion and in the moment. He would expect that from us.

"

With a gentle hand and heart Jean-Marc was a true receiver — he didn't romanticize life so much as he saw life romantic.

— Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey, who won an Oscar for his lead performance in Dallas Buyers Club, shared: "With a gentle hand and heart Jean-Marc was a true receiver — he didn't romanticize life so much as he saw life romantic — from the struggle to the pain to the wink and the whisper, love stories were everywhere in his eye." Jared Leto, who won an Oscar for his supporting performance in the same film, praised Jean-Marc as "a filmmaking force and a true artist" who changed his life. Reese Witherspoon wrote, "My heart is broken. My friend. I love you." — later adding, "I will always remember you as the sun goes down. Chasing the light. On a mountain in Oregon. On a beach in Monterey. Making sure we all caught a little magic in this lifetime." Laura Dern echoed: "The world has lost one of our great and purest artists and dreamers. And we lost our beloved friend. Our hearts are broken."

A Personal Remembrance

On a first person level, I had the chance to spend various dinners with Jean-Marc over the seven months before his passing. Our common affiliation with the Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) allowed us the opportunity to discuss a variety of topics among a small culinary group. Our dinner troop also included AWFF executive director Georges N. Chamchoum. Georges and Jean-Marc shared a long and deep friendship that included Vallée serving on the festival board — their connection built around a shared goal of uplifting underserved communities in the film industry to promote cultural understanding, peace, and unity.

Aside from being a brilliant filmmaker, Jean-Marc possessed a unique and heartwarming nature. He was a breath of fresh air in an industry inundated with high emotional guards and superficiality. Being someone who was extremely humble, authentic, and kind, it was fascinating to connect him to a slew of high-profile industry accolades. His soft-spoken nature, fun sense of humor, and generosity with time was wonderfully disarming.

Demolition (2015)

Bryan Sipe & Jean-Marc

On one particular occasion, Jean-Marc thoughtfully made time to join a small birthday gathering in my honor. His presence alone was a tremendous gift, yet he thoughtfully arrived with beautiful flowers and a picture book of "Women in Trees" as a wonderfully humorous gesture. Jean-Marc was in L.A. working on his next project — a film on the love story between John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Sensing my curiosity, he leaned in: "Want to hear about the opening scene?" he asked with a teasing smirk. As he gave me this special preview, I remember his childlike excitement in detailing each moment. Even though his résumé encompassed several heralded projects, this one was special to him.

Jean-Marc's more recent passion for healthy living included lots of tea, Wim Hof breathing, morning swims in the ocean, monkey rings, therapy, and cold plunges. His friend, collaborator, and mentee Bryan Sipe disclosed that Vallée had stopped drinking two years prior to better understand John Lennon, who had done the same in his later years. "He was a much kinder and gentler version of himself. He knew there was work to be done on himself for his boys. Everything was for them," Bryan shared.

"

He never called cut. He even recorded rehearsals. But by the end of it, it would all come together perfectly.

— Bryan Sipe — Collaborator & Writer, Demolition

As the writer of their film Demolition (2015), Bryan had connected with Jean-Marc years before Dallas Buyers Club made him a household name. He reminisced on Jean-Marc's laser focus to execute his vision on set. "He never called cut. He even recorded rehearsals. There were times that he would get into arranging the furniture in the rooms and we would wonder what the heck he was doing. But by the end of it, it would all come together perfectly. He is an editor first and he writes through an editing lens. I was never unsure he was the captain, but he never treated me as such. We were collaborators. The best idea won."

André Morgan — Film Producer

Jean-Marc Vallée — what can anyone say about this amazing human being? A strong and close friendship that lasted 30 years. We had so much in common, but also so many differences. We had the same passion — "movies" — but on various levels, he was discreet, very rich in words, eloquent, poised and I was all fire and loud! We embraced life to the fullest — again he was discreet, I was "crazy"! He was soft-spoken, I was ebullient! I would say unequivocally we complemented each other.

When I saw his first movie Liste Noire in 1995 I fell in love with his style of storytelling, then 10 years later C.R.A.Z.Y. — his first masterpiece. I remember when he started thinking about it. I was in Montreal, shooting a movie, and we would meet for dinner and spend many hours during the weekend, and he would tell me how the story would unfurl and speak in detail about each character — as if the movie was already a flicker on the Silver Screen. That's JMV — all passion, fire, and life in a very subtle way. He was inspiration. I miss him calling me Jojopoulos. I miss our weekly spicy dinners. He will always live in my heart and mind. He is a gift and touched everyone who circled around him.

In Their Own Words

Georges N. Chamchoum, Filmmaker: "Jean-Marc Vallée was a unique storyteller. He directed with a voice that always felt raw, authentic, and compelling. As an audience, receiving that kind of connection with a film was and is a gift. As a filmmaker, I'm grateful for the legacy of the work he's left us with and what it teaches us about humanity. I'm glad our paths crossed and I had the chance to tell him how much his films have meant to me."

Caylee So, Filmmaker: "Canada and the world lost a unique and gifted storyteller with the tragic and sudden passing of Jean-Marc Vallée. His love of life and his quiet, easy but attentive manner informed his view of the human condition. His direction and attention to detail made each of his projects a delightful treat, regardless of the subject matter or point of view. His curiosity and inquisitive nature made him the ideal collaborator. Truly his was a life cut short."

Chantal Cadieux, Quebec Screenwriter and mother to Jean-Marc's two sons: "Dear Jean-Marc, your sudden death sent a shock wave through our family and the world. You gave me two wonderful sons who remind me of you every day, and wonderful films that will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, carried by the love of your family, friends and fans."

Alex Vallée, Son: "My father was an innovator in the world of cinema, a deeply sensitive man who took full advantage of his creative talent. He wanted to live a long life and he was preparing big projects. He was a source of inspiration for many and leaves wonderful memories in the minds of people who had the privilege of meeting him, loving him and appreciating his work."

Jean-Marc had a reputation of having great rapport with young people and being quite invested in the next generation. He touched the lives of those he met, and countless more through his films. On Christmas day of 2021, the world lost a special soul and visionary craftsman. Sadly, industry and audiences will be forever deprived of the work Jean-Marc had on the horizon. But also a reminder to cherish the moments we have in the now. As succinct as it is, perhaps he said it best — "Cut, print, thank you, bye."