Georges-Henri Denys Arcand CC GOQ (born June 25, 1941) is a French-Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer based in Montreal, who crafts deeply personal and thought-provoking films, earning international acclaim. His career began with features like "Une Maudite Galette" (1972) and "Gina" (1975), exploring diverse narratives. "The Decline of the American Empire" (1986) depicted Quebecois intellectuals tackling issues of sexuality, success, and intimacy, winning critical acclaim, nine Genies, and a Cannes Fipresci prize. "Jesus of Montreal" delved into the lives of Montreal artists portraying biblical figures, blending day-to-day struggles with religious performances. Arcand's film "Stardom" satirized fame, closing Cannes 2000 and opening TIFF, a rare honour for Canadian cinema. "The Barbarian Invasions," a sequel to his earlier work, earned Arcand an Oscar, Cannes prizes, French Cesars, and Quebec Jutra awards, solidifying his cinematic legacy.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 25, 1941 (85)
- Deschambault, Quebec, Canada
- Director, writer and actor
- 11 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
Known for
What are Denys Arcand's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 7
A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 2 · Dark 5
A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 1
Gentle 2 · Charged 5 · Intense 3
Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 1
Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 1 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 6
Resolved 2 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Bittersweet5
- Tragic1
- Ambiguous4
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Denys Arcand's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Denys Arcand's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
60 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 16 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Testament (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
La plus belle province (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Forgotten Flowers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Le prix du paradis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Kiss Me With All Your Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Stealing Alice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Burghers of Vancouver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
An Eye for Beauty(2014)
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Les pêcheurs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Les bobos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Barney's Version(2010)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
En audition avec Simon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
From Office to Box-Office (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Days of Darkness(2007)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Shooting Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Lost & Profound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
The Barbarian Invasions(2003)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all filmsLes héritiers du mouton noir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Stardom(2000)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Poverty and Other Delights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Love and Human Remains(1993)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Ma soeur, mon amour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Léolo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Montreal Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Letters of a Portuguese Nun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Jesus of Montreal(1989)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Night Zoo(1987)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
The Crime of Ovide Plouffe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Empire, Inc. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Comfort and Indifference (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Duplessis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
The Struggle of Hospital Workers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)
La Tête de Normande St-Onge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Gina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Pigs Are Seldom Clean (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Réjeanne Padovani (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
Quebec: Duplessis and After... (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Dirty Money(1972)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Mon oeil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)
Cotton Mill, Treadmill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
C'est pas la faute à Jacques Cartier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Between Sweet and Salt Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Atlantic Parks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Nominingue... depuis qu'il existe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Volleyball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
Montréal un jour d'été (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
The Road to the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Ville-Marie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Jusqu'au cou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Supports and Suspensions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Parallels and the Great Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Champlain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Québec 1603 - Samuel de Champlain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Springboard to the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Alone or with Others (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
East of Eaton (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Le documentaire selon Denys Arcand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 60 titles, 59 of them dated from 1959 to 2023.
Biggest box office
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
Highest rated
The Barbarian Invasions (2003)
Most popular right now
The Fall of the American Empire (2018)
Film career
- 1992Screen debut· Léolo
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Denys Arcand's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up6
- 50th to 74th3
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
None of their 11 titles divides audiences: 7 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser7
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 48/100 in their films, across 9 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Denys Arcand's work okay for kids?
Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Denys Arcand work with?
People who share at least 2 of Denys Arcand's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Guy Dufaux shares the most, 6.
Writers
- Jean-Claude LauzonShared titles: Night Zoo (1987), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 2 shared titles with Jean-Claude Lauzon
Actors
- Rémy GirardShared titles: The Fall of the American Empire (2018), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 4 shared titles with Rémy Girard
- Yves JacquesShared titles: An Eye for Beauty (2014), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 4 shared titles with Yves Jacques
- Pierre CurziShared titles: The Fall of the American Empire (2018), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Pierre Curzi
- Dominique MichelShared titles: The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Night Zoo (1987), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Dominique Michel
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Guy DufauxShared titles: Days of Darkness (2007), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Stardom (2000), Jesus of Montreal (1989), Night Zoo (1987), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 6 shared titles with Guy Dufaux
- Isabelle DedieuShared titles: An Eye for Beauty (2014), Days of Darkness (2007), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Stardom (2000), Jesus of Montreal (1989)See all 5 shared titles with Isabelle Dedieu
- François DompierreShared titles: Stardom (2000), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 3 shared titles with François Dompierre
Producers
- Denise RobertShared titles: The Fall of the American Empire (2018), An Eye for Beauty (2014), Days of Darkness (2007), The Barbarian Invasions (2003), Stardom (2000)See all 5 shared titles with Denise Robert
- Roger FrappierShared titles: Love and Human Remains (1993), Jesus of Montreal (1989), Night Zoo (1987), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 4 shared titles with Roger Frappier
- Daniel LouisShared titles: An Eye for Beauty (2014), Days of Darkness (2007), The Barbarian Invasions (2003)See all 3 shared titles with Daniel Louis
- Pierre GendronShared titles: Jesus of Montreal (1989), Night Zoo (1987), The Decline of the American Empire (1986)See all 3 shared titles with Pierre Gendron
