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Gillian Armstrong

Gillian Armstrong

Gillian Armstrong's ability to bring such ethereal elements as romantic attraction and deep emotion to the screen has led to her universal appeal. Wherever her films are made, Armstrong's eye for dramatic detail and passionate stories makes her among the most celebrated of contemporary directors.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, she was introduced to a life of art by her schoolteacher mother and her photography fascinated father. She attended the Swinburne Art School, where her examiners included Fred Schepisi, and went on to complete the National Film School's course in directing with other up-and-coming filmmakers such as Philip Noyce. She began her directing career making award-winning short films that established her moving sense of drama.

Armstrong has made her mark with films about unusual women facing grueling tests of one kind or another. Her signature is her fine, clear-eyed observations of human relationships, with all their untidiness intact. Strong and independent heroines have been the central theme throughout most of her work, and in 1979 she became the first Australian woman in 50 years to direct a feature film. Her debut, My Brilliant Career, starring Judy Davis, went on to win seven Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Director and Best Film, and was selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Armstrong was subsequently invited to Hollywood to develop feature films but refused and stayed to make a second film in Australia.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2002.

Gillian Armstrong Facts

Birth Name Gillian May Armstrong
OccupationDirector
BirthdayDecember 18, 1950 (73)
SignSagittarius
BirthplaceMelbourne, Australia

Selected Filmography

Little Women
Charlotte Gray
Oscar And Lucinda
Last Days of Chez Nous
Death Defying Acts
Mrs. Soffel
Women He's Undressed
Starstruck
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