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Peter Raymont

Acclaimed director Peter Raymont (Artsci'72) will be at Queen’s on May 25 for a screening of his latest film, West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson, hosted by Queen’s film Professor Clarke Mackey.

Mr. Raymont has made more than 100 documentaries and TV shows, including the Emmy Award-winning documentary Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire and the CBC TV dramas The Border and Cracked.

West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson explores the life of one of Canada’s foremost visual artists. The film is nominated for a Rockie at this year’s Banff World Media Festival, as one of four nominees in the arts and performing arts programs category.

“The film is important because it deals with one of the most important artists Canada has ever produced and Thomson is quite mysterious,” says Professor Mackey. “Peter is such a good cinematic storyteller, he puts the film together in such a way that it is not just a bunch of interviews. It almost feels like you are watching a fictional film.”

Thomson is an iconic Canadian painter who was highly influential with members of the famed Group of Seven. Thomson drowned in 1917 at the age of 39 in Algonquin Park. While many films about him focus on his mysterious death, Mr. Raymont wanted his film to focus on Thomson’s art and creative genius.

The film uncovers many new details about Thomson, including a painting that may be one of Thomson’s first oil paintings and an audio recording of Algonquin Park ranger who knew Thomson.

The screening of West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson takes place May 25 at 7:30 pm in Dunning Hall. It will be followed by a Q&A session with Mr. Raymont.