Dominic Goyer

French-Canadian filmmaker Dominic Goyer explored complicated issues about family in his celebrated short films "The White Robe" (2008) and "Our Nature" (2012) before delving into the subject with his first feature, the offbeat and suspenseful drama "On My Mother's Side" (2015). An honors graduate with a degree in film from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University, Goyer continued his education in the television program at l'Institut national de l'image et du son (INIS) in 2006. His first short film, "Une robe blanche" ("The White Robe") introduced themes of identity and family that would play throughout his subsequent screen efforts. Goyer's next short, "La Monstre" ("The Monster," 2009), about a black sheep daughter who pines for stardom on reality television, won special mention by the jury at the Berlin International Short Film Festival, while its follow-up, "Notre Nature" ("Our Nature"), won Best Director at Canada's Festival Fantasia. Goyer's first feature-length effort, "L'Origine des espèces" ("The Origin of the Species/On My Mother's Side"), expanded upon themes from his earlier work in its story of a successful young man (Marc Paquet) who discovers that his father is not his biological parent, and his mother - a recent suicide - lived a disturbing double life throughout his childhood. The film, which mixed live-action footage with animated sequences, earned mixed reviews during its run at international film festivals.