Daniel Roby

Roby grew up in Montreal and stayed in the city to attend Concordia University, but eventually left to enroll in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. He returned to Quebec with his film training and started building a name for himself as a camera operator, soon graduating to director of photography for a number of French-Canadian television shows. After receiving attention for his own debut short, "Quelques instants de la vie d'une fraise" (2003), Roby directed his first feature film, "White Skin," a moody, city-set tale of romance and vampirism. Continuing to work on TV productions, most notably as a cinematographer for many episodes of the French-language sitcom "François en série" (Series Plus, 2006-07), Roby finally began production on his second movie. Released in 2011, Roby's "Funkytown" featured both French and English dialogue as it conveyed the fictional story of Bastien Lavallée (Patrick Huard), a major figure in Montreal's dance scene of the late 1970s. In 2013, Roby followed up this expansive drama with an even bigger undertaking, the true tale of Louis Cyr, who was deemed the strongest man in the world during the turn of the 20th century. Starring Antoine Bertrand, an actor primarily known for his comedic roles, the film was hailed for its period visuals and thoughtful lead performance, making it a high point of Roby's directorial career.