TORONTO — Donald Shebib, whose seminal 1970 drama “Goin’ Down the Road” became a cultural touchstone for its gritty realism, has died at age 85.
The director’s family says he died Sunday at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. A cause of death was not immediately available.
The Toronto-born Shebib is widely considered one of Canada’s most influential filmmakers with critics positioning “Goin’ Down the Road” as among the country’s greatest films.
It tells the story of two young Maritimer men who depart Cape Breton for Toronto in search of better lives. The film featured the music of Bruce Cockburn and starred Doug McGrath, Paul Bradley and Jayne Eastwood.
Shebib financed the project on a government grant and money he pocketed from selling his beloved black and white Morgan sports car.
“Goin’ Down the Road” won the feature film prize at the Canadian Film Awards the year it was released, and spawned a sequel in 2011, with Shebib again directing.
Shebib went on to make numerous feature films and episodic TV. His relationship drama “Nightalk” screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2023.
The Canadian Press
