Gilles Groulx, a renowned Canadian film director, was born on August 30, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec. Growing up in a large, working-class family with 14 siblings, Groulx was destined for a life that would be anything but ordinary. Despite his humble beginnings, Groulx was driven to succeed, and his early education in business seemed like a promising start.
However, Groulx soon found himself disillusioned with the corporate world, and his desire for intellectual pursuits led him to enroll in the École du meuble de Montréal. There, he became fascinated with the automatiste movement, a revolutionary art movement founded by Paul-Émile Borduas.
As Groulx's passion for art and filmmaking continued to grow, he began making amateur films on 8 mm, which eventually caught the attention of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He landed a job as a picture editor in the news department, where he honed his skills and developed his unique style.
Groulx's early success in personal filmmaking led to his hiring by the National Film Board (NFB) in 1956, marking the beginning of the candid eye movement. This pivotal moment in Groulx's career would set the stage for his future success as a director, and his work would go on to leave a lasting impact on the Canadian film industry.
