
Francis Mankiewicz
Directing
Biography
Francis Mankiewicz (March 15, 1944 – August 14, 1993) was a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. In 1945, his family moved to Montreal, where Francis spent all his childhood. His father was a second cousin to the famous Hollywood brothers, Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Herman J. Mankiewicz.
Known For

For the Record, an anthology of 60-to-90-minute dramas, started on the series, Performance, as a subseries called Camera ’76. A collection of docudrama-style short stories on diverse but socially relevant (and very Canadian) topics such as unemployment, euthanasia, spousal abuse, televangelists, aboriginal issues, and anglophone-francophone relations. This series attracted most of the 'big name' Canadian actors and directors of the time.
For the Record

Narcissistic Saskatchewan Tory politician Colin Thatcher is engaged in a bitter divorce from his wife Jo-Ann. When a series of court rulings over the divorce go against him, Thatcher decides a more drastic solution is needed - murder! A series of attempts on Jo-Ann's life follow, most of which don't succeed. Finally one does, and the arrogant Thatcher believes he is above the law and immune to prosecution. But his arrogance proves to be his undoing, as Crown Counsel Serge Kujawa builds a case against this psychopathic monster for 1st-degree murder - charging that Thatcher hired someone to kill his wife. The true story of one of the most disturbing stories of murder-for-hire in Canada.
Love & Hate: The Story of Colin and Joanne Thatcher

An intense crime drama about a Canadian drug lord who amasses a fortune from the cocaine and marijuana trade. His empire is threatened by the Mafia, Hell's Angels and the police who are all trying to bring him down.
And Then You Die

A woman is overwhelmed with having to deal with her emotionally unstable daughter, mentally-challenged brother and two suitors while simultaneously trying to run her small firewood business.
Good Riddance

A woman attempts to resume her place in the family that she abandoned years earlier.
Happy Memories

A quiet painter, separated from his wife for a year, receives a suitcase in the mail from his mother, whom he hasn't seen since infancy. He believes she abandoned him to his wealthy, paternal grandparents. The suitcase contains mementos and a diary, a long letter to him, written over the years, with details of her youth, her first job as a pianist at a cinema, the coming of talkies, her marriage, and how he came to live with his grandparents. As he reads through the materials and her story comes to life, his son Antoine, who's about 10 or 12, tries to break through his father's silence and sorrow by taking matters into his own hands.
The Revolving Doors
The tragic and troubling true story which made headlines across the nation. Helen Betty Osborne, a young Aboriginal student who was brutally beaten and slain in a The Pas, Manitoba town in 1971. Her murder remained unsolved for nearly 16 years, despite the fact that within days of the tragedy, rumours began circulating of the identity of the men involved.
Conspiracy of Silence

A priest and nun, haunted by physical longings, leave their respective callings. Even after their desires are fulfilled they experience crisis of faith.
Virgin Lovers

A young boy learns the rituals of what his father and his friends perceive as manhood on a weekend hunting trip.
The Time of the Hunt

This short fiction film about a young boy torn between conflicting loyalties is resolved with humour and wisdom. Sunday, 2 o'clock, is zero hour for Gaston. He must be in two places at once: performing at a music recital and playing hockey with his teammates. What is Gaston to do?
Gaston's Recital
A dinner reunion of two childhood friends and their spouses turns into a disaster when they realize they have radically different lifestyles.
Une amie d'enfance
Located in Ontario, Point Pelée National Park attracts birds in its long grasses, and brilliant Monarch butterflies on its trees. Wooden walkways through the marsh facilitate access for numerous visitors. A film without words. - NFB