John Duigan
{{short description|Australian film director|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{About|the film director|the pioneer aviator and aircraft-builder|John Robertson Duigan|the New Zealand general|John Evelyn Duigan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = John Duigan
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1949|6|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England
| spouse = Nammi Le
| othername =
| alma_mater = University of Melbourne (1973)
| occupation = Film director, screenwriter
| yearsactive = 1975–present
}}
John Duigan (born 19 June 1949) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. He is mostly known for his two autobiographical films The Year My Voice Broke and Flirting, and the 1994 film Sirens, which stars Hugh Grant.
Biography
Duigan was born in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, England to an Australian father, and emigrated to Australia in 1961. He is related to many Australian performers, being the brother of novelist Virginia Duigan (wife of director Bruce Beresford) and uncle of Trilby Beresford. {{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
Duigan studied at the University of Melbourne, where he resided at Ormond College and graduated in 1973 with a master's degree in Philosophy. While at university, he worked extensively as an actor and director in theatre, and acted in a number of films (including Brake Fluid, Bonjour Balwyn and Dalmas).[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/director-john-duigan-talks-about-sexual-politics-with-aplomb/story-fn9n8gph-1226323972540?nk=766a970181ca74407e1b0770d4ff7fee theaustralian]
He began directing films in 1974, with early successes including Mouth to Mouth, winner of the Jury Prize at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards and Winter of our Dreams, for which he won an Australian Writers' Guild award for Best Screenplay. His 1981 film Winter of Our Dreams was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1983 |title=13th Moscow International Film Festival (1983) |access-date=31 January 2013 |work=MIFF |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131107141111/http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff34/eng/archives/?year=1983 |archive-date=7 November 2013}}
The mini-series Vietnam followed in 1987; it was one of Nicole Kidman's first major roles. Subsequently, Duigan worked in the United States and Europe, returning to Australia to make Sirens, winner of Best Film at the St. Petersburg Film Festival.{{Cite news |url=http://www.icff.cc/icff2016/john-duigan/ |title=ICFF {{!}} John Duigan |website=www.icff.cc |language=en-US |access-date=29 June 2017}}
Since 2011, Thandie Newton has claimed that she was groomed and sexually abused by Duigan on the set of Flirting. He has not responded to these claims and the matter has never been legally proven.{{cite news |last1=Sanchez |first1=Chelsea |title=Thandie Newton Opens Up About Surviving Sexual Assault as a Teenager |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a33236826/thandie-newton-opens-up-surviving-sexual-assault/ |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=Harper's Bazaar |date=7 July 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Barr |first1=Sabrina |title=Thandie Newton says she became ‘super-vulnerable to predators’ as she speaks about surviving sexual abuse as a teenager |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/thandie-newton-sexual-abuse-teenager-john-duigan-eating-disorder-anorexia-a9607261.html |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=The Independent |date=8 July 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Clarke |first1=Donald |title=Thandie Newton names names. Will Hollywood punish her? |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/thandie-newton-names-names-will-hollywood-punish-her-1.4300154 |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=The Irish Times |date=11 July 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Jung |first1=E. Alex |title=In Conversation: Thandie Newton |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/thandie-newton-in-conversation.html |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=Vulture |date=7 July 2020}}
In the United States, he directed Romero, starring Raul Julia, which won the Humanitas Award,{{Cite news |url=http://humanitasprize.org/awards/john-sacret-young/ |title=John Sacret Young |date=16 November 2016 |work=The Humanitas Prize |access-date=29 June 2017 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220050127/http://humanitasprize.org/awards/john-sacret-young/ |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=dead}} and Lawn Dogs, winner of numerous prizes in European festivals.{{Cite news |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1997/0916/091697.feat.film.1.html |title=And the Prize Goes to ... Movies With a Spiritual Dimension |last=Mason |first=M. S. |date=16 September 1997 |work=Christian Science Monitor |access-date=29 June 2017 |issn=0882-7729}} In England he directed The Leading Man, from a screenplay by his sister Virginia, The Parole Officer with Steve Coogan,{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,534451,00.html |title=Film of the week: The Parole Officer {{!}} Reviews {{!}} guardian.co.uk Film |website=www.theguardian.com |language=en |access-date=29 June 2017}} and in Canada/France/UK Head in the Clouds with Charlize Theron and Penélope Cruz, winner in Canada of four Genie Awards and Best Film at the Milan Film Festival.{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2012/05/24/3509190.htm |title=ABC Classic FM - Midday - John Duigan - film director and screenwriter |website=ABC Classic FM |access-date=29 June 2017}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/17/movies/glittery-glamour-and-idealism-do-battle-in-world-war-ii-europe.html |title=Glittery Glamour and Idealism Do Battle in World War II Europe |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=17 September 2004 |work=The New York Times |access-date=29 June 2017 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
Between 2005 and 2010, he took time off from the film industry to work on a book on secular ethics, returning to Australia to direct Careless Love in 2011/12.
Filmography
Actor
- Bonjour Balwyn (1971)
Director
- The Firm Man (1975)
- The Trespassers (1976)
- Mouth to Mouth (1978)
- Dimboola (1979)
- Winter of Our Dreams (1981)
- Far East (1982)
- One Night Stand (1984)
- Winners (1985 TV series) - episode "Room to Move"
- Room to Move (1987 TV movie)
- The Year My Voice Broke (1987)
- Vietnam (miniseries) (1987)
- Fragments of War: The Story of Damien Parer (1988, TV)
- Romero (1989)
- Flirting (1991)
- Wide Sargasso Sea (1993)
- Sirens (1994)
- The Journey of August King (1995)
- The Leading Man (1996)
- Lawn Dogs (1997)
- Molly (1999)
- Paranoid (2000)
- The Parole Officer (2001)
- Head in the Clouds (2004)
- Careless Love (2012)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0241090}}
{{John Duigan}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for John Duigan
|list =
{{AACTA Award Best Direction 1980–1999}}
{{Australian Film Institute Jury Prize}}
{{Byron Kennedy Award}}}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duigan, John}}