Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, he was raised in Western Canada. Both his parents were painters, and he planned to be a playwright, but after making a short film, he became hooked on telling stories visually. Returned to ethnic " homeland" when he filmed Calendar in Armenia. Won attention at the Sundance Film Festival for earlier work, then broke through critically and commercially with The Sweet Hereafter.
His wife Arsinée Khanjian appears in all his movies Parents Joseph and Shushan(nee Devletian) painted, but also ran a furniture store. Graduated University of Toronto, B.A. International Relations, 1982. Plays classical guitar He and actress wife have son, Arshile. Created an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor-General Roméo Leblanc. [Ottawa, Sept. 23, 1999] One of his favorite movies is Sergei Parajanov's "Sayat Nova" (1968), his best friend Mikhail Vartanov's favorite film. Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1996 Head of jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2003