Renowned Quebec Director Érik Canuel Passes Away at 63

The Quebec film industry is mourning the loss of esteemed film director Érik Canuel, who passed away at the age of 63. Canuel, known for his works such as La loi du cochon, Nez rouge, Le dernier tunnel, and Bon cop, bad cop, succumbed to a sudden plasma cell leukemia over the weekend after a seven-year battle with multiple myeloma.

Born in 1961 in Montréal, Canuel began his career at the age of 21 with his first short film titled Mon ami, mon frère. He co-founded Kino Films with Pierre Gill and Marie-France Lemay, focusing on advertising and music videos, collaborating with artists like Sass Jordan, Vilain Pingouin, and Sylvain Cossette.

Canuel’s directorial debut in feature films came with La loi du cochon in 2001, a crime drama starring Isabel Richer and Catherine Trudeau. This was followed by successful movies like Nez rouge, Le dernier tunnel, and Bon cop, bad cop, which shattered box office records in Canada.

One of Canuel’s notable achievements was the bilingual hit Bon cop, bad cop in 2006, which won the Génie for Best Film and the Billet d’or at Gala Québec Cinéma. The success of the film led to a sequel, and a third installment is currently in the works at Bell Média.

Aside from his film projects, Canuel was also active in television, directing episodes for series such as Fortier, Transplant, and Flashpoint. He leaves behind his partner Julie, his children Elodie, L’ami.e, and Justine, as well as his extended family.