Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen

Directors Don Owen, Donald Brittain
Year 1965
Run Time 44min
Genre Documentary
Before he became an internationally beloved singer/songwriter, Leonard Cohen was living a reclusive life as a poet, occasionally touring for his book releases. This critically acclaimed portrait captures his life at age 30 while on a visit to his hometown of Montreal, where he reads his poetry to an enthusiastic crowd, strolls the streets, and relaxes in his three-dollar-a-night hotel room.

A true treasure from the early days of the NFB, this is a celebration of a Canadian legend that offers a unique perspective on his art, his personal life, and his vision for the world.

Directors

Don Owen

Owen was a pioneer of English Canadian filmmaking who joined the NFB in 1960, where he worked as a cinematographer on the short film À Saint-Henri le cinq septembre and directed the short Runner. His first feature, Nobody Waved Goodbye, won a BAFTA and is considered a classic of Canadian cinema. His directing credits include Notes for a Film About Donna & Gail, The Ernie Game (which won the Canadian Film Awards for best feature and direction), Partners, and Unfinished Business. Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen won the Canadian Film Award for Best TV Information.

Donald Brittain

An Officer of the Order of Canada, Brittain was one of Canada’s most respected and prolific documentary filmmakers. A few of his notable films include Fields of Sacrifice, Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen, Memorandum, and the Genie Award-winning Paperland: The Bureaucrat Observed. He wrote the 1975 Oscar-nominated short doc Whistling Smith and co-directed Volcano: An Inquiry Into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry, which garnered 6 Canadian Film Awards and an Academy Award nomination.

Writer

Donald Brittain

Producer

John Kemeny

Genre

Documentary

Interests

Arts and Culture, Biography, Classics

Original Languages

English, French