Atom Egoyan: David Lean Lecture 2009

20 December 11

Watch the Canadian filmmaker behind Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter and Chloe deliver the Academy's annual film lecture in 2009.

_{The full length Atom Egoyan lecture
video is available to watch now on BAFTA Guru.}

Over the course of three decades at the forefront of the international film industry, Atom Egoyan has become one of contemporary cinema’s most celebrated auteurs. With feature films including The Adjuster, Calendar, Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, Felicia’s Journey, Ararat, Where the Truth Lies and 2008’s Adoration, Egoyan has garnered countless prizes and nominations, led by Grand Prix and International Critics Awards from the Cannes Film Festival and two Oscar nominations for The Sweet Hereafter.

David Lean Lecture 2009
RafyEgoyan’s elegant and inventive films feature lonely hearts and isolated figures of unfulfilled desire in often surreal and gloomy scenarios, yet all of his characters are redeemed by his extraordinary compassion for them and insight into their thoughts and feelings. His films involve a rare mix of intellect, style and great heart.

Making people aware of the deeply rooted desire they have to escape into a screen image is something I find really stirring.

Head over to BAFTA Guru to watch the full video of Egoyan delivering the 2009 David Lean Lecture, and answering questions from host Jason Wood. Using clips from his films, he explains how the collision of the natural and the externally controlled impulses combine to contruct erotic drama, and how his imaginary viewer is 'infinitely curious and exploratory'.