Jennifer Baichwal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Baichwal
Baichwal at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, 2009
Born	1965 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Occupation	Filmmaker
Notable work	Manufactured Landscapes
Spouse(s)	Nicholas de Pencier

Jennifer Baichwal is a talented Canadian filmmaker. She creates, writes, and produces documentary films. Documentaries are movies that tell true stories about real life.

About Jennifer Baichwal

Jennifer Baichwal was born in Montreal, Quebec. She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia. Her father, Krishna Baichwal Sr., was a heart surgeon. Her mother was Elvina Baichwal. Jennifer has three siblings: Krishna Jr., Elizabeth, and Kristine. Her family background is Indian and British.

In 1985, Jennifer traveled to Morocco. She lived on a farm there. This trip was inspired by the writer Paul Bowles. Later, he became the subject of her first full-length documentary film.

Jennifer studied philosophy and theology at McGill University. She earned her master's degree in 1994.

Her Family Life

Jennifer Baichwal is married to Nicholas de Pencier. He is a cinematographer, which means he is in charge of how a film is shot. He is also a director. They met because a friend suggested Nicholas when Jennifer needed someone to film her movie.

Jennifer and Nicholas have two children. Their son, Magnus, was born in 2000. Their daughter, Anna, was born in 2003. In 2000, the couple started their own film company. It was first called Requisite Productions, but now it's known as Mercury Films.

Jennifer's Filmmaking Career

After finishing her studies, Jennifer decided to make documentary films. She found that filmmaking was a great way to explore big questions about life and people. She wanted to share these ideas in a creative way that was easy for everyone to understand. Jennifer believes documentaries help us think about real-world events in an artistic way.

Her films often explore interesting questions about how documentaries are made. She likes to make movies about other artists. She feels that art has a special power that can't be easily explained.

In 2016, Jennifer Baichwal became a member of the board of directors for the Toronto International Film Festival. This is a very important film festival in Canada.

Since 1995, her husband, Nick de Pencier, has filmed almost all of Jennifer's movies. One exception was Manufactured Landscapes.

Early Films

Looking You in the Back of the Head (1997)

This was a short television documentary. It was made in 1995. The film featured 13 Canadian women. They shared their thoughts about their own identity.

Let it Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998)

This film is a documentary about the American writer Paul Bowles. Jennifer made the film near the end of Bowles' life. She was able to show him the movie before he passed away in 1999. She said it was very important for her that he saw it.

The Holier It Gets (2000)

This documentary is about Jennifer and her siblings. They took a trip to India to place their father's ashes in the Ganges river. The film explores feelings of grief, finding peace, and spiritual beliefs. Nick de Pencier filmed it using 16mm film.

The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia (2002)

This film focuses on the work of American photographer Shelby Lee Adams. His photos are well-known but also sometimes cause debate. The documentary includes interviews with Adams, the people he photographed, and people who have criticized his work. The film's title comes from one of Adams' subjects.

Notable Documentaries

Manufactured Landscapes (2006)

This is one of Jennifer Baichwal's most famous films. It follows Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky on a trip to China. Burtynsky was taking photos for his "China" series. The film uses his pictures to show how fast industrial growth has changed the environment in China. China is a major manufacturing and economic country.

Act of God (2009)

This documentary explores the deep questions about what happens when someone is struck by lightning. It shares stories from people who have been hit by lightning or seen it happen. The film looks at scientific, cultural, and religious ideas about lightning from around the world. The writer Paul Auster narrates the film. He shares his own experience of seeing a childhood friend die from a lightning strike.

Payback (2012)

Payback is a documentary film based on a non-fiction book. The book, called Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, was written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood.

Watermark (2013)

Watermark was Jennifer Baichwal's second film with Edward Burtynsky. This time, Burtynsky also helped direct the film. The documentary looks at how we use and sometimes misuse water. It shows how important water is for life. Burtynsky also created a photo series called "Water" while they were making the film.

Long Time Running (2017)

Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier directed this film about the Canadian band The Tragically Hip. The documentary shows the band's farewell tour in 2016. This tour happened after the lead singer, Gord Downie, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

Anthropocene (2018)

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is Jennifer Baichwal's third collaboration with Edward Burtynsky. This documentary explores how much humans have changed the natural world. It asks if these changes are big enough to create a new geological time period, like the Holocene or Pleistocene epochs. The film was released in September 2018.

Filmography

• Looking You in the Back of the Head (1997)
• Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998)
• The Holier It Gets (2000)
• The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia (2002)
• Manufactured Landscapes (2006)
• Act of God (2009)
• Payback (2012)
• Watermark (co-directed with Edward Burtynsky) (2013)
• Long Time Running (2017)
• Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (2018)
• Into the Weeds (2022)

Awards and Nominations

Jennifer Baichwal has won many awards for her films: