On Sunday, in her acceptance speech Lupita Nyong’o said: “No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid”. Those words are very true and can apply to any dream, even the one of becoming a movie director.
Lupita’s word resonates with the journey of an independent film director who was nominated at this year’s Academy Awards. Jean-Marc Vallée was just a guy from Montreal, Quebec who was dreaming of making movies. He studied cinema in college and from there, made his way into the small, indie Quebecer movie industry. In 1995, he decides to take make the movie C.R.A.Z.Y. The movie came out in 2005 and was such a success that it gave him opportunity to work in Hollywood. From that time he went from success to success. He directed Martin Scorsese’s The Young Victoria in 2011 which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Movie.
Jean-Marc Vallée
In 2013, Dallas Buyers Club had him described as visionary and exceptional by the producer Robbie Brenner and actor Matthew McConaughey. For twenty years the script was gathering dust on someone’s desk until Vallée accepted the challenge.
Even though he did not win on Sunday, Vallée is a great example that even if you start small, if you make movies that inspire you as a story teller anything is possible.
Slate Inc. 