# Atom Egoyan

Atom Egoyan CC (/ɛˈɡɔɪən/; Armenian: Ատոմ Եղոյեան; born July 19, 1960) is an Egyptian-Armenian filmmaker, typically working in Canada. Emerging in the 1980s as part of the Toronto New Wave, he made his career breakthrough with Exotica (1994), a film set in a strip club. Egoyan's most critically acclaimed film is the drama The Sweet Hereafter (1997), for which he received two Academy Award nominations. His biggest commercial success is the erotic thriller Chloe (2009).
Egoyan's works often explore themes of alienation and isolation, featuring characters whose interactions are mediated through technology, bureaucracy, or other power structures. His films often follow non-linear plot structures, in which events are placed out of sequence in order to elicit specific emotional reactions from the audience by withholding key information.
He received the 2008 Dan David Prize for "Creative Rendering of the Past" and the 2015 Governor General's Performing Arts Award. Egoyan is married to actress Arsinée Khanjian, whom he has often cast in his films.

## Early life and education

Egoyan was born Atom Yeghoyan on July 19, 1960, in Cairo, in what was then the United Arab Republic, to Armenian-Egyptian painters Shushan (née Devletian) and Joseph Yeghoyan. He was named Atom to mark the completion of Egypt's first nuclear reactor. Egoyan has a younger sister, Eve.
In 1963, because of a rise in Arab nationalism, the family left Cairo and moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada. They changed their last name to Egoyan.
As a teenager, Egoyan became interested in reading and writing plays. Influences included Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter. He also attributes his future in the film industry to Ingmar Bergman's Persona (1966), which he viewed at age 14, according to an interview he had with journalist Robert K. Elder for The Film That Changed My Life:
   It gave me an incredible respect for the medium and its possibilities. To me, Persona marries a pure form and a very profound vision with absolute conviction. It's very inspiring. I felt that it was able to open a door that wasn't there before.
Egoyan graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto. It was at Trinity College that he came into contact with Harold Nahabedian, the Armenian-Canadian Anglican Chaplain of Trinity College. In interviews, Egoyan credited Nahabedian for introducing him to the language and history of his ethnic heritage. Egoyan wrote for the University of Toronto's independent weekly, The Newspaper, during his time at the school.

## Career

Egoyan began making films in the early 1980s; his debut film Next of Kin (1984) had a world premier at the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg and won a major prize. The next year he directed the 1985 Twilight Zone episode "The Wall".
His commercial breakthrough came with his film Exotica (1994). He received the Grand Prix (Belgian Film Critics Association) in Brussels, the FIPRESCI Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards (then called the Genie Awards).
Egoyan's first attempt at adapted material resulted in his best-known work, the highly praised The Sweet Hereafter (1997). It earned him three prizes at the 50th Cannes Film Festival: the Grand Prix, the FIPRESCI Jury Prize, and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury. The film also earned Egoyan Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Beginning in 1996, Egoyan has directed several operas, including Salome, Così fan tutte, Jenůfa, and The Ring Cycle, at the Canadian Opera, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and elsewhere.
The film Ararat (2002) generated much publicity for Egoyan. After Henri Verneuil's French-language film Mayrig (1991), it was the first major motion picture to deal directly with the Armenian genocide. Ararat later won the award for Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards, marking Egoyan's third win. The film was released in over 30 countries around the world.
In 2004, Egoyan opened Camera Bar, a 50-seat cinema-lounge on Queen Street West in Toronto. The bar closed in 2006.
Beginning in September 2006, Egoyan taught at the University of Toronto for three years. He joined the Faculty of Arts and Science as the Dean's Distinguished Visitor in theatre, film, music, and visual studies. He subsequently taught at Ryerson University. In 2006, he received the Master of Cinema Award of the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg.
His film Adoration (2008) has been adapted into an opera by Mary Kouyoumdjian and librettist Royce Vavrek. It premiered in New York in 2024 and is set to be presented again by LA Opera in 2025.
In 2009, he directed the erotic thriller Chloe, which was theatrically released by Sony Pictures Classics on March 26, 2010. This film grossed $3 million in limited theatrical release in the United States, which was generally considered respectable for an arthouse film release in the early 2010's. Several months after the DVD/Blu-ray release of Chloe, Egoyan said that Chloe had made more money than any of his previous films. The success of Chloe led Egoyan to receive many scripts of erotic thrillers.
In 2012, he directed a production of Martin Crimp's Cruel and Tender.
After the release of the West Memphis Three from 18 years in prison, Egoyan directed a movie about the case called Devil's Knot (2013) starring Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth, based on a book, Devil's Knot: The True Story of the West Memphis Three by Mara Leveritt. His next feature, The Captive (2014), starred Ryan Reynolds and screened in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it received largely negative reviews from critics. Justin Chang from Variety described the film as "a ludicrous abduction thriller that finds a once-great filmmaker slipping into previously un-entered realms of self-parody."
In 2015, Egoyan directed the thriller Remember, which starred Christopher Plummer and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, before being given a limited release in theatres. His 2019 drama Guest of Honour, was nominated for a Golden Lion in competition in Venice in 2019, had a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, and opening night galas in Vancouver and Montreal. His latest film is Seven Veils (2023); the film was a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Official Selection with a special advance premiere at the Canadian Opera Company’s theatre, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
He has also occasionally appeared in films as an actor, most notably in his own film Calendar and Jean Pierre Lefebvre's The Box of Sun (La boîte à soleil).

## Personal life

Egoyan is based in Toronto, where he lives with his wife, actress Arsinée Khanjian, who appears in many of his films, and their son, Arshile (named after the Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky).
In 1999, Egoyan was made an Officer of the Order of Canada; he was promoted in 2015 to Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest grade of the honour. In 2009, he won the 'Master of Cinema' award from the Mannheim Film Festival, 25 years after receiving his international festival premiere at the same event. In 2017, Egoyan was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the International Film Festival of India.

## Filmography
### Feature Films

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
| 1984 | Next of Kin | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1987 | Family Viewing | Yes | Yes | Uncredited |
| 1989 | Speaking Parts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1991 | The Adjuster | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1993 | Calendar | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1994 | Exotica | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1997 | The Sweet Hereafter | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1999 | Felicia's Journey | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2002 | Ararat | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2005 | Where the Truth Lies | Yes | Yes | Executive |
| 2006 | Citadel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2008 | Adoration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2009 | Chloe | Yes | No | No |
| 2013 | Devil's Knot | Yes | No | No |
| 2014 | The Captive | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2015 | Remember | Yes | No | No |
| 2019 | Guest of Honour | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2023 | Seven Veils | Yes | Yes | Yes |

### Short Films

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 1979 | Howard in Particular | Yes | Yes | |
| 1980 | After Grad with Dad | Yes | Yes | |
| 1981 | Peep Show | Yes | Yes | |
| 1982 | Open House | Yes | Yes | |
| 1985 | Men: A Passion Playground | Yes | No | |
| 1991 | En passant (In Passing) | Yes | Yes | Segment of Montreal Stories |
| 1995 | A Portrait of Arshile | Yes | Yes | |
| 2000 | The Line | Yes | Yes | Segment of Preludes |
| 2001 | Diaspora | Yes | No | |
| 2007 | Artaud Double Bill | Yes | Yes | Segment To Each His Own Cinema |
| 2013 | Butterfly | Yes | No | Segment of Venezia 70 Future Reload |

### TV Films

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer |
| 1986 | In This Corner | Yes | No | No |
| 1993 | Gross Misconduct | Yes | No | No |
| 1997 | Sarabande | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 1988 | Looking for Nothing | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2000 | Krapp's Last Tape | Yes | No | No |

## Awards

| Year | Title | Award |
| 1984 | Next of Kin | Won prizes at International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg; nominated for Best Direction Genie Award |
| 1987 | Family Viewing | Won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Locarno International Film Festival (1988) |
| 1989 | Speaking Parts | Best Motion Picture nomination, including five others, at the 1989 Genie Awards |
| 1991 | The Adjuster | Won the Special Silver St. George at the 17th Moscow International Film Festival, Best Canadian Film and Best Ontario Picture at Cinefest Sudbury (1991) |
| 1993 | Calendar | Won the Special Jury Prize at Taormina International Film Festival (1993) |
| 1994 | Exotica | Won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival |
| 1997 | The Sweet Hereafter | Won Grand Prize of the Jury, FIPRESCI Jury and Ecumenical Jury Prizes at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival |
| 1999 | Felicia's Journey | Won the Best Adapted Screenplay at Genie Awards (2000) |
| 2002 | Ararat | Won Best Motion Picture at the 2003 Genie Awards; also won Genies for costume design and original score; in addition, Arsinée Khanjian won the best actress award and Elias Koteas best supporting actor at the 2003 Genie Awards; also won the Writers Guild of Canada award in 2003 |
| 2005 | Where the Truth Lies | Won the Best Adapted Screenplay at Genie Awards (2006) |
| 2008 | Adoration | Won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Best Canadian Feature Film – Special Jury Citation at Toronto International Film Festival (2008) |
| 2009 | Chloe | Nominated for the DGC Craft Award at the Directors Guild of Canada (2010) |
| 2013 | Devil's Knot | Nominated for the Best Film Golden Seashell Award at San Sebastián International Film Festival (2013) |
| 2014 | The Captive | Palme d'Or nomination at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival |
| 2015 | Remember | Won the Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award – Venice Film Festival (2015) |
| 2019 | Guest of Honour | Nominated for the Golden Lion (Leone d'Oro) at the Venice Film Festival, opening nights at the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Festival du nouveau cinéma |
| 2023 | Seven Veils | Avant Première, Toronto International Film Festival (2023); Special Gala, Berlin International Film Festival (2024); Opening Night Film, Yerevan International Film Festival (2024); Opening Night & Best Canadian Film, Victoria Film Festival (2024) |