Academy Award-winning filmmaker John Zaritsky passes away at 79

Academy Award-winning veteran Canadian filmmaker John Zaritsky passed away on March 30. Zaritsky suffered heart failure at the Vancouver general hospital, as confirmed by his family. He was 79.

John Zaritsky was known for winning an Oscar Award for his documentary Just Another Missing Kid in 1983. The film was based on a Canadian college student who disappeared while visiting the United States. It showcases his parents' efforts to track him down. Just Another Missing Kid was originally aired on the Canadian TV series The Fifth Estate. The filmmaker also made documentaries on several serious issues such as Men Don't Cry: Prostate Cancer Stories. Zaritsky shot the documentary shortly before his diagnosis of prostate cancer.

More about John Zaritsky and his films

John Zaritsky usually focused on people and families in the vulnerable moments in their lives. He made the film Do You Really Want To Know? which was based on families considering genetic testing for Huntington's disease. He also directed a documentary trilogy on thalidomide, a drug that was introduced in the late 1950s in Europe as thousands of pregnant women were prescribed the medicine and gave birth to babies with severe deformities. His film Leave Them Laughing showcased a performer who vows to get the last laugh over Lou Gehrig's disease. Lou Gehrig's disease is a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and eventually impacts the physical functioning of an individual.

As per a report by Deadline, Zaritsky's family's statement mentioned how diverse and controversial were the late filmmaker's movies. They mentioned he covered war, suicides, crime, and many other complex stories in his career span of 40 years. The statement read, "With subjects as diverse and controversial as war, Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo, assisted suicide, The Suicide Tourist, and criminals, Rapists: Can They Be Stopped; The Wild Horse Redemption, to name only a few, Zaritsky shared complex stories that most filmmakers steered clear of."

Moreover, Zaritsky was working on his memoir at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Annie Clutton, their family - Errin and Bern Lally - and their two grandchildren. The filmmakers' work has been showcased in 35 different countries over the past 40 years.

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