Joel Gauthier

French Canadian actor-director Joel Gauthier was born in the village of Repentigny, Quebec, an off-island suburb of Montreal. Growing up, Gauthier became a fan of the modern greats of directing, from Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese to Michael Mann, David Fincher, and Quentin Tarantino. His first film, the crime thriller "Impasse" (2009), was about a gambler seeking to repay one final debt. Not only written and directed by Gauthier, "Impasse" also featured the DIY auteur in the lead role. He involved much of his family in the production; his mother, Claudine Garant, not only produced the film, but also appeared in a small role as a restaurant patron. Following the release of "Impasse," Gauthier worked as an actor in several short films made by others in the Montreal creative community, and co-starred in the science fiction thriller "Temps Mort" (Radio-Canada 2010-12) on French-Canadian television. His next major project was his second feature film, "Rédemption" (2013). Once again, Gauthier wrote and directed the film, and starred opposite Patrice Godin as an impulsive small-time criminal tempting his rehabilitated ex-con brother back into a life of crime.