Denys Arcand

The Profile

Denys Arcand is a Canadian film director and screenwriter from Quebec, known for incisive social satires such as The Decline of the American Empire (1986), Jesus of Montreal (1989), and The Barbarian Invasions (2003), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Barbarian Invasions (2003) won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film; Arcand won Best Screenplay at Cannes 2003 for the same film; Jesus of Montreal won the Jury Prize at Cannes 1989; The Decline of the American Empire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Three reviews debate Arcand’s The Barbarian Invasions: one hails it as a modern masterpiece, one condemns it ideologically, and one reads it as right‑leaning satire. Themes include ethics, family, illness, healthcare, technology, and money. Overall sentiment is sharply divided.