1948 – 2012
2 Aug
Our dear friend, father, brother, colleague, militant, activist has passed away Thursday August 2nd, 2012, after a struggle with cancer.
Magnus, notre ami, père, frère, miltant, activiste, collègue est décédé jeudi, le 2 août suite à un combat contre le cancer.
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Read friend’s words in this post.
Read The Gazette’s obituary and the report from the CBC. Et ici, dans le Devoir.
Marc Glassman, editor of POV magazine, had conducted an extensive career interview with Magnus about six months ago.
One word comes to mind when I think of Magnus: integrity. As an artist, as a family man, as a friend, he was always full value. He never let himself—or anyone else—down.
He came to documentary out of a profound desire to expose injustices in the world. Magnus had a deep sense of what’s right and wrong and he used his camera to bring to light the causes and concerns of at-risk youths in Montreal North, Canada’s Native peoples and the homeless in city cores. He was fearless, taking on institutions ranging from McDonald’s to the Quebec government.
Magnus’ cinema became more personal as he matured as a filmmaker. The wonderful duo in Art in Action, the feisty Choir Boys and the amazing Raging Grannies came to life under Magnus’ quiet and compassionate gaze. Without losing a sense of the political, Magnus created indelible portraits of people he came to know and respect.
I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with Magnus and his wonderful family—-Jocelyne and Bethiele in Montreal and Anna in Toronto. What’s struck me is that Magnus was ever present, participating to the fullest in his personal life as he did in his work as a documentarian. Whether it was riding his bike up the mountain three times a week or keeping an insightful and intelligent doc blog or having a dinner with family and friends, Magnus did it with commitment and style. His life and work is an inspiration to us all.
Marc Glassman
The full version of the POV interview can be found online here: POV Magazine- Magnus Isacsson- Advocate and Auteur.
In the next few days, we will post some of the tributes that are coming in. Meanwhile, you are welcome to leave a thought, a comment, right below.
- – -
On publiera davantage un peu plus tard…
Vous êtes invités à laisser un mot, un commentaire, ci-dessous.
En 2011, j’ai découvert le Documentaire. Je me suis lancée dans une formation collégiale spécialisée dans le domaine. Et l’automne dernier, j’ai su, un peu, qui était Magnus Isacsson, à travers son travail. Récemment, je lisais son blogue, heureuse et inspirée de pouvoir suivre ses réflexions. Comme si elles simplifiaient un peu l’ampleur du travail et de mes attentes en documentaire. Comme si tout cela paraissait simple. Quand je lis Magnus, les raisons de faire ce cinéma me deviennent évidentes et incontestables. Parce qu’il avait raison de le faire et qu’il y a réussi. Aujourd’hui, j’ai ce gout d’apprendre et de poursuivre vers un documentaire social et profondément humain.
Merci pour tout,
Émie-Gail Gagné
I spent 4 years working with Magnus during my time at film school, on the street for the film ATSA, art en action – with some other friends from Concordia – I graduated the same time the film finished – taking with me the lessons I had learnt – and continue to remember the things Magnus taught me – I saw him the other day, still full of ideas, noble, brave.
Thank you for what you shared with me, you were a generous teacher, and friend.
What a sad and tragic loss of a great man. I had not known Magnus was sick, and came home tonight from our Fringe Festival in Saskatoon to find a voice message from a friend who saw the article on the CBC. I met Magnus in 1986 when he was researching the film URANIUM and was coming to Saskatoon where I live. I traveled with him to Northern Saskatchewan along with two other journalists, what an adventure we had. We were so pleased with the film and his determination to shed light on this secretive industry.
We did not keep in touch after the film was released in 1990, but by coincidence in 2009, we were on the same email thread related to an inquiry about the film. Later that year, I had the opportunity to travel to Montreal which was very exciting for me since I had not been there since I was a child. Having reconnected with Magnus on email, I told him I was coming, and he and Jocelyne offered me a place to stay, which I accepted. He met me at the airport and seemed to be the same vital & energetic fellow I had come to know in Saskatoon so many years ago. Magnus and Jocelyne opened their home to me, and forgave me when I mistakenly let one of their cats outside, and along with Béthièle, made me feel welcome. Magnus and Béthièle took me to a community feast and celebration for a man who had been held on a Security Certificate, and was finally released. It was a wonderful event with great food, music and company.
I simply cannot believe he is gone, it will take a few days for the reality to set in. He was a man of great courage and determination, vision and hope for a just society for all. There really are no words….I truly hope he is at peace after the struggle of illness, and that his loved ones will find solace and comfort from the many who loved them all. Rest in Peace, Magnus.
Thank you, Magnus, for being an example of determination, rebelliousness and creativity. You made a huge difference in this world and you will be greatly missed. Love to Jocelyn, Anna and Bethiélè.
Clara
(Barcelona, Spain)
Toutes mes condoléances a la famille de Magnus.
Francis van den Heuvel – Réalisateur/Producteur
I was so saddened to hear of Magnus’ passing…I had known him from back in the late 80s when I was Chair of the CIFC, the predecessor of DOC. I travelled to Montreal to explore the creation of a chapter of the CIFC in Quebec and he was part of the small group who came to ask questions, advocate and suggest the best ways to make our common goal happen. Since then I had seen seen him on many occasions, mostly at Hot Docs or when I was in Montreal. Then 4 summers ago, after a long chat at Hot Docs about our common love of canoeing, we decided to meet up halfway between Montreal and Toronto in Kingston to go on a 2-day canoe trip in Frontenac Park. I remember it vividly – 2 souls at a similar stage of life, with quite different life experiences, but sharing openly and intimately our personal histories, our goals and projects while we paddled, portaged, fished and made our meals over the campfire. It was magic. He had already been contending with an early bout of cancer at that time, but he was resolute and courageous. We spoke about doing a follow up canoe trip again the following summer but, our schedules being what they were, it never happened…
I’ll miss Magnus – his deep curiosity about the world, commitment to social justice and his sympathetic, perceptive mind. My heartfelt codolences to Jocelyne, Anna and Béthièle.
Bob Lang
I first saw Magnus from afar with skiis on his shoulder coming back from a run on Mount Royal, the very picture of the healthy Swedish Montrealer. I saw his films over the years and was inspired by them. Our family is so sorry that he is gone, and sends all our best hopes to Jocelyne, Anna and Bethiele.
Ce matin j’ai dû annoncer à ma fille que Magnus ne viendrait plus à la maison avec sa caméra. J’avais eu la chance de faire sa connaissance et celle de Jocelyne dans le cadre d’un projet de documentaire web devant accompagner le film d’Hugo Latulippe sur sa fille Alphée, atteinte d’une maladie orpheline, comme ma fille.
Magnus a fait un petit bout de chemin avec nous, histoire de comprendre le quotidien d’une famille aux prises avec les défis que représente une maladie rare. Son approche profondément humaine, faite d’empathie et de rigueur, a nourri notre réflexion, nous a rendus plus conscients de nos failles et plus forts à la fois. Sa présence nous a profondément marqués.
Le matin, en traversant le parc Jeanne-Mance à vélo pour aller à la garderie, nous jouions à repérer les canoës bleus de Magnus : tiens, que fait Magnus aujourd’hui ?
Jeudi, nous avons perdu un ami et en ce moment nous pensons très fort à vous, Jocelyne et Béthièle.
Sophie, Tristan et Héloïse
Magnus touched hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Your astute eye, discretion, talent and genuine interest will be greatly missed.
And didn’t we have fun filming the Crees in New England!
My condolences to your family.
I am immensely saddened by the news the death of Magnus from cancer. I knew him as a young radical in my 20′s, and worked with him around different activist causes. For a time, we were next door neighbours and I remember with great fondness, visiting each other for chats and brunches. Later I moved from Montreal and would connect from time to time. However, my brother, a Montreal documentary filmmaker himself, bumped into him more often.
If you ever knew Magnus, even for a short time you had to be struck not just by his unflagging activism and creative spirit, but the qualities he showed as a man, the kind of rebel who brought a loving and compassionate spirit to all that he did. I am sure i am one of many who even if our lives touched for a relatively brief period, always held him especially precious.
I can’t imagine how hard it must be for his family- who had the joy of his companionship over the years, and in turn gave him great joy. My heart goes out to you Jocelyne, Anna and Bethiele.
Cher Magnus,
Il me reste en tête nos discussions lors des comparatifs sur lesquels nous avons siégé ensemble… il me reste ton regard clair et toujours souriant, il me reste le son de ta voix et cet indescriptible petit accent, il me reste ton implication indéfectible pour la cause du documentaire, il me restera toujours l’image d’un homme de qualité à l’esprit ouvert…
An Afternoon With Magnus and Jocelyne
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of spending time with Magnus Isacsson in his home. Though he felt discomfort and was very weak, Magnus wanted nothing more than to talk about documentary, share news about his projects, and ask questions about our own cinematic pursuits. His eyes lit up when he spoke about his art and how much he was learning from following characters over long periods – characters struggling with personal issues and social barriers. He seemed especially proud of his most recent film, Ma vie réelle (produced by Jeannine Gagné, shot by his long-time friend and accomplice Martin Duckworth, assisted by Franck Le Coroller, and edited by Annie Jean) about troubled young men in Montreal-North. He shared experiences about making the documentary – the many twists and turns that eventually led to finding the powerful and surprising characters that he filmed right up to the last days of editing. Though faced with his own life threatening illness, Magnus talked with great compassion about the hardships his characters had to endure.
Admirers of Magnus’s work speak of his absolute lack of cynicism and unflinching belief in the power of documentary. We can only confirm this. Magnus sounded as excited about socially engaged cinema as a first time filmmaker! He showed no sign of self-pity or anger over his predicament – of life being cut short before reaching the age of 65. Instead, he showed us the demo for his next film, a documentary about the victims of pedophilic priests in Quebec. We were very moved by the suffering and the courage of the victims to whom he was giving a voice, and we shared his deep outrage at what they had endured as children. That afternoon it felt as if Magnus would somehow find a way to complete this stirring and necessary documentary.
Magnus also talked about the invaluable role his wife Jocelyne Clarke played, as a loving partner and collaborator. She knew almost as much as the doctors about his cancer, having researched his illness in depth and following up numerous leads for treatment. Jocelyne came in to sit with us for a while, between preparing dinner for their young daughter Béthièle and squeezing in hours of paid work. She seemed almost as thin and worn out as Magnus. Yet her sparkling eyes and almost contagious joyful attitude, revealed a deep inner strength that profoundly impressed us. People who knew Magnus also know how Jocelyne, besides making her own films and working as a festival programmer, film analyst and teacher, was also worked closely with Magnus’s on several of his projects – as producer, researcher and editor.
We left feeling fortunate to know such a committed, generous and talented couple who, through example, set high standards for what documentary filmmaking should be about. Along with the many friends who have benefited from Magnus’s and Jocelyne’s friendship, mentoring and generosity, we hope Jocelyne will let us know how we in the documentary community can find ways to give back.
Sophie Bissonnette and Helene Klodawsky
Un après-midi avec Magnus et Jocelyne
Il y a quelques semaines, nous avons eu le plaisir de passer l’après-midi avec Magnus Isacsson, chez lui. Même s’il était très faible et souffrant, Magnus nous a parlé avec enthousiasme de cinéma documentaire et de ses productions en cours, et il voulait tout savoir sur nos propres projets. Le regard vif, il nous a parlé de son travail de création et du bonheur pour lui de suivre, sur de longues périodes de temps, des personnages qui ont à relever des défis personnels et sociaux importants. Il était tout particulièrement fier de son dernier film, Ma vie réelle, un documentaire tourné à Montréal-Nord avec quatre jeunes hommes à risque. (Le film est produit par Jeannine Gagné, tourné par son grand ami et complice, Martin Duckworth, assisté de Franck Le Coroller et monté par Annie Jean.) Il nous a fait part des aléas propres à ce type de démarche documentaire qui l’ont amené à trouver des personnages forts et étonnants qu’il a continué de filmer jusqu’à la toute fin du montage. Alors qu’il affrontait lui-même une maladie incurable, Magnus accordait toute sa compassion aux personnages de son film dont la vie est une série d’épreuves.
Les gens qui admirent le travail de Magnus soulignent unanimement l’absence totale de cynisme dans sa démarche et sa foi inébranlable dans le pouvoir du documentaire. Nous pouvons le confirmer: lors de notre rencontre, Magnus était aussi excité qu’un jeune cinéaste qui découvre le cinéma engagé! Aucun signe de sa part d’apitoiement sur son propre sort, ni de colère face à l’injustice d’une vie fauchée avant même d’avoir atteint l’âge de 65 ans. Au contraire, il nous a présenté des extraits d’un autre projet en cours, un documentaire sur les victimes des prêtres pédophiles au Québec. Nous l’avons visionné avec émotion, profondément touchées par la souffrance et le courage des victimes à qui il donnait la parole et, comme lui, indignées des abus commis contre ces enfants. Nous ne doutions pas cet après-midi que Magnus trouverait une façon de finir ce documentaire dérangeant et nécessaire.
Magnus nous a aussi parlé du rôle inestimable de sa femme, Jocelyne Clarke, une partenaire et collaboratrice des plus aimante. Jocelyne avait effectué des recherches exhaustives sur son cancer et sur tous les traitements possibles et imaginables, si bien qu’elle en connaissait presqu’autant que ses médecins sur sa maladie. Après avoir préparé le repas de leur fille Béthièle et avant de s’installer pour effectuer quelques heures de travail rémunéré, Jocelyne est venue s’asseoir avec nous un moment. Si elle paraissait aussi amaigrie et fatiguée que Magnus, ses yeux brillants et son attitude positive contagieuse traduisaient une force intérieure qui nous a profondément impressionné. Les gens qui connaissaient Magnus savent que Jocelyne non seulement réalise ses propres films en plus de travailler comme programmatrice de festivals, professeure de cinéma et analyse de projets cinématographiques, mais qu’elle a également collaboré étroitement à plusieurs productions réalisées par Magnus, à titre de productrice, recherchiste et monteuse.
En quittant Magnus et Jocelyne, nous nous sommes comptées chanceuses de connaître un couple aussi talentueux, généreux et engagé qui, par leur exemple, ont établi des standards élevés pour le cinéma documentaire. Nous nous joignons aux nombreux amis et amies de Magnus et Jocelyne dans le milieu documentaire qui ont tant bénéficié de leur amitié, de leurs conseils et de leur générosité pour inviter Jocelyne à nous dire comment nous pouvons à notre tour lui rendre tout ce que nous avons reçu de leur part.
Helene Klodawsky et Sophie Bissonnette