MOOSE JAW — A celebrated artist whose bronze cows and portraits made him a household name across Canada was remembered in Moose Jaw recently through the lens of filmmaker Jan Nowina-Zarzycki.
The Moose Jaw Public Library and the Moose Jaw Museum & Art Gallery (MJMAG) partnered to host a screening of Fafard, an 86-minute feature documentary chronicling the final years of Saskatchewan sculptor Joe Fafard.
The evening drew one of the largest audiences either institution has seen for a film program, underscoring the late artist’s enduring impact on prairie culture.
“We were thrilled with the turnout last night. We counted 68 people in attendance, which was great,” said Jennifer McRorie, curator at the MJMAG. “It was really great to support the screening of this film about an artist who is so near and dear to our hearts.”
Nowina-Zarzycki filmed for more than five years, beginning in 2013, before completing the project in 2022 after an extended post-production period delayed by the pandemic. He accompanied the sculptor to Julienne Atelier, the foundry Fafard established in Pense, Sask., where molten bronze poured into molds gives shape to his iconic figures — and across the country.
“I knew Joe for a good 15 years, and he always fascinated me. I always thought that he’s a very consummate artist,” Nowina-Zarzycki said. “Although Joe was in several earlier films … they were usually very superficial. I wanted to make something deeper, because I believe that when you look at the object of art, you may not realize how much an artist is included or hidden in that art object.”
Working without broadcaster support, Nowina-Zarzycki financed the film largely through his own means and with the help of private benefactors, with original music by Jack Semple and production support from Rob King, among others. The result, he said, is a work of independent vision that preserves the voice and presence of the artist during his final months.
“Joe was very generous and accommodating with his time,” he recalled. “We became friends, and I’m very happy that I could get to know Joe through the making of this film. It’s a real reward for me to meet a person so deeply like that.”
The documentary follows Fafard after he received a terminal cancer diagnosis, capturing his effort to complete two major works: a self-portrait and a double portrait of Vincent van Gogh. Along the way, the artist reflects on his Métis and French-Canadian roots, his philosophy of art, and his lifelong commitment to sculpture.
McRorie said the approach left viewers with the sense of having spent personal time with the artist.
“It was like spending an hour and a half with him,” she said. “With the way it’s shot, you can tell it’s Jan and Joe sitting down having an intimate conversation … it feels like you’re getting a chance to visit with him (too).”
For Nowina-Zarzycki, the universality of Fafard’s work lies in its accessibility and depth.
“Joe is known by his … animal sculptures, so everyone can relate to (his work), in a sense,” he said. Every piece carries aesthetic beauty, an emotional pull, and an informative element — three qualities Nowina-Zarzycki uses to define enduring art.
From intimate clay works to monumental installations such as “Le jardin de l’esprit” (“Mind’s Garden”) at the University of Regina, Fafard connected to his viewers by infusing his work with history, philosophy, and personal reflection.
The director added that he hopes audiences carry away two guiding ideas from the film. The first is captured in the Latin phrase Vita Brevis, Ars Longa — life is short, art is forever. The second is drawn from French writer André Malraux: All art is a revolt against man’s fate.
Born in Ste. Marthe, Sask., in 1942, Fafard became one of Canada’s most successful and recognized artists, earning the Order of Canada in 1981 and international acclaim for works that ranged from intimate clay portraits to monumental bronze horses.
His death in 2019 marked the end of a career that shaped the visual identity of the Prairies.
For novelist Guy Vanderhaeghe, who offered one of several endorsements of the film, Fafard succeeds in honouring that legacy.
“Fafard is a rare and stellar documentary, a thoughtful, deeply compassionate film about an important sculptor confronting his mortality after a life devoted to making art. It’s difficult to imagine any viewer not being moved and uplifted by this depiction of an artist who describes himself as a ‘realist’ but who was a true prairie visionary.”
Nowina-Zarzycki, who continues to tour the film nationally and internationally, said he’s grateful the Moose Jaw screening allowed local audiences to reconnect with one of their own.
As the final credits rolled and the conversation spilled into the gallery lobby, surrounded by several of Fafard’s works in the permanent collection including Peggy, a life-size horse sculpture first exhibited in 2016, it was clear his art — and his spirit — remain deeply woven into Saskatchewan’s cultural fabric.
For more information and additional interviews not included in the film, visit NovinaFilms.com.
