Gillian Armstrong facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gillian Armstrong
Armstrong in 2012
Born	Gillian May Armstrong (1950-12-18) 18 December 1950 (age 74) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1970–present
Spouse(s)	John Pleffer
Children	2
Awards	AACTA Award for Best Direction 1979 My Brilliant Career

Gillian Armstrong (born 18 December 1950) is a famous Australian film director. She makes both feature films and documentaries. She is well-known for movies like My Brilliant Career (1979) and Little Women (1994).

Gillian Armstrong has won many film awards. She is also a Member of the Order of Australia. This is a special honor given to people who have achieved a lot for their country.

Early Life and Education

Gillian May Armstrong was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This was on December 18, 1950. She was the middle child in her family. Her dad was a real estate agent, and her mom was a primary school teacher.

Gillian grew up in a suburb called Vermont. She went to Vermont High School. Her father loved photography, even though it wasn't his job. Gillian remembers growing up learning about photography. She said her parents always supported her dreams. This was very helpful for young women in the 1960s and 70s.

She first studied general art at Swinburne Technical College in 1968. She then focused on film for four years. She first wanted to design movie sets and costumes. But she became very interested in filmmaking. At college, she saw many artistic films. These were different from the movies and TV shows she usually watched.

After college, she worked as an assistant film editor for a year. Then, she joined a special program at the Australian Film and Television School (now AFTRS) in 1973. Only 12 students were chosen for this program. She made two films there that won awards. One of her films was shown at an international student film festival. She traveled overseas with this film and explored for 18 months.

She started her studies before the Australian film industry became big. She remembers when new Australian films came out. The actors sounded Australian, not American, for the first time.

Gillian Armstrong's Career

Gillian Armstrong started her career by making short films and documentaries. Her first full-length film was The Singer and the Dancer. It won an award at the 1976 Sydney Film Festival.

She became a film director at age 27. After her second film, My Brilliant Career, she received offers from Hollywood. But she chose to stay in Australia. She wanted to make a smaller film called Starstruck.

After Starstruck, she was asked to make a documentary. This film would explore the lives of young teenage girls in Adelaide, South Australia. This became Smokes and Lollies (1976). It was her first paid job as a director.

Gillian was very interested in these girls' lives. So, she visited them again as they grew older. She made four more films about them at ages 18, 26, 33, and 48. This was like the popular "Up Series" of documentaries.

My Brilliant Career won six awards at the 1979 Australian Film Institute Awards. These included Best Director. The film also made its main stars, Judy Davis and Sam Neill, famous. After this success, Gillian directed the musical film Starstruck. This showed she could make different kinds of movies.

In the early 1980s, she also directed some music videos. One was "Bop Girl" (1984) by Pat Wilson. It featured a young Nicole Kidman.

Directing Period Dramas

Since then, Gillian Armstrong has often directed period dramas. These are films set in the past. She was the first foreign woman asked by the American film company MGM to direct a big movie. This film was Mrs. Soffel (1984). It starred Mel Gibson and Diane Keaton. The movie tells a true story about a prisoner and a prison warden's wife.

When she returned to Australia, she kept making documentaries and feature films. She gained recognition for High Tide (1987) and The Last Days of Chez Nous (1992). She was nominated for Best Director for these films.

In 1994, Gillian had her biggest Hollywood success. She directed the movie Little Women. It was based on Louisa May Alcott's famous novel. The film starred Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, and Christian Bale. It was one of the most popular films that year. This movie showed Gillian's focus on the lives of strong female characters.

Three years later, she directed Oscar and Lucinda (1997). It starred Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett. This film was based on a novel by Australian writer Peter Carey. It told a love story set in 19th-century Australia.

In the 2000s, Gillian directed Charlotte Gray (2001). This film also starred Cate Blanchett. It was another one of Gillian's films about a strong female main character. She also directed Death Defying Acts (2008). This movie starred Catherine Zeta-Jones and Guy Pearce. It was about the escape artist Harry Houdini.

Even with her success in commercial films, her documentary Unfolding Florence: The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst (2006) received a lot of praise. It was nominated for an award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Film Themes and Style

Themes in Her Films

Gillian Armstrong wants her films to reach many people. Her movies often explore family relationships. They also look at how women break free from traditional roles. Films like My Brilliant Career and Oscar and Lucinda show these ideas. Many people say she creates "strong female characters." But she says she just makes films about complex people and their choices.

Gillian Armstrong's Style

Gillian Armstrong has a unique style. Her films are hard to put into simple categories. They are not just "women's films" or "Australian films." Her movies often mix different types of genres. This makes them feel new and different.

Her films are also easy for audiences to enjoy. They have beautiful camera work and smooth editing. She also pays great attention to the settings and costumes. She focuses on developing strong characters and getting great acting performances.

Personal Life

As of 2015, Gillian Armstrong is married to John Pleffer. They have two daughters.

Recognition and Awards

Gillian Armstrong is a Member of the Order of Australia. This is for her important contributions to the film industry.

She has won many awards, including an AFI Best Director Award. She has also been nominated for other major awards. These include the Palme D'Or and two Golden Bear Awards. She has received several honorary doctorates from universities.

Film Awards and Nominations

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Gillian Armstrong para niños