Jean-Daniel Lafond

Infobox Person


name = Jean-Daniel Lafond
CC LLD ("hc")
caption =
birth_date = 1944
birth_place = France
death_date =
death_place =
other_names =
known_for =
occupation = Fimmaker
nationality = Canadian/ French
spouse = Michaëlle Jean

Jean-Daniel Lafond CC (born 1944) is a French-born Canadian filmmaker, and the husband to Governor General Michaëlle Jean, making him the Viceregal Consort of Canada. He is entitled to be styled His Excellency while his wife is in office.

Biography

Lafond was born in France during the liberation of Paris. He subsequently taught philosophy from 1971 "while pursuing research in audio-visual training and communications". In 1974 Lafond left France for Quebec and became a Canadian citizen in 1984. After teaching at the Université de Montréal he left the university to focus on film-making, radio and writing.

From his first marriage Lafond has two daughters Estelle and Élise, as well as two grandchildren. With his current wife Governor General Michaëlle Jean he has daughter Marie-Éden (born 98 or 99), adopted from Haiti.

Controversy

When in 2005 his wife was nominated by Prime Minister Paul Martin as the next governor-general, controversy arose when his past resurfaced. While the personality of Michaëlle Jean was mostly accepted throughout Canada, Lafond himself had early on been suspected of being a Quebec separatist because of some of his movies. When an article in a sovereignist journal made its way to the press, alleging that Lafond had befriended a former FLQ (militant Quebec-separatist organization) member who had built for him a cache "to hide weapons" in his library, protest became louder, and many journalists and politicians accused the prime minister of having done too little research on Lafond's background. Later in August, his wife reacted to this in a formal letter announcing she and her husband "had never adhered to a political party or to the sovereignist ideology".

Confusion continues to surround his loyalties. In his book, "La manière nègre" (The Black Way), he wrote, "So, a sovereign Quebec? An independent Quebec? Yes, and I applaud with both hands and I promise to be at all the St. Jean [Baptiste] parades." However, in October 2005, in an interview with Radio-Canada he said, "I never believed that I could become a separatist. I have a great deal of difficulty with nationalism in general." He also called members of the sovereignist movement who had called him a traitor, terrorists. At the same time he affirmed that he was a Québécois before a Canadian. He believes that he has always fought for the "cultural independence" of Quebec, but nothing further. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051027.wxlafond27/BNStory/National/ Jean's husband blasts separatists] , "Globe and Mail", October 27 2005]

Lafond's 2006 film "", a documentary about an American political activist who has admitted to assassinating an Iranian diplomat in 1980, who appeared, unexpectedly, in the 2001 film "Kandahar", also stirred controversy. The "National Post" asserted that the film was too sympathetic to David Belfield, the activist. [http://www.informactionfilms.com/en/productions/hassan/ American Fugitive:The Truth About Hassan] , "InformAction"] [http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2006/04/26/lafond-film.html Lafond's new film hits hot buttons] , "CBC", April 26 2006] [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/issuesideas/story.html?id=3013aac0-8f41-4fdf-b890-5c1569da7056 Airbrushing a killer] , "National Post", May 2 2006]

References

External links

* [http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/indicatifpresent/chroniques/8637.shtml Lafond's views on war from a Radio Canada interview]
* [http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile/paroles/depestre_tribune.html Haïti dans tous nos rêves]
* [http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/1995/07/PARDO/1582 La Liberté en colère - Lafond's film on the October Crisis of 1970]
* [http://www.filmakers.com/indivs/SalamIran.htm Lafond's film Salam Iran : a Persian letter]
* [http://www.independance-quebec.com/flq/film_liberte.html A second commentary on "La liberté en colère"]