'The Silence of the Lambs' director and activist Jonathan Demme dies
The 73-year-old filmmaker's work also includes music documentaries and groundbreaking features that brought challenging themes to the forefront of American cinema. Demme was also a lifelong immigrant activist.
An artist and activist
Demme's publicist announced on Wednesday, April 26, that the filmmaker had died in New York due to complications from esophageal cancer. Born in 1944, Demme rose to prominence in the 1980's and earned acclaim for his diverse directorial output that spanned five decades. Alongside his feature film work, Demme also produced a slew of documentaries and undertook TV work.
'The Silence of the Lambs'
Demme is most well known for his 1991 horror-thriller "The Silence of the Lambs." It starred Anthony Hopkins as the cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as FBI agent Clarice Starling who finds herself turning to Lecter to solve a gruesome series of murders. The film earned five Academy awards, including Best Director for Demme and Best Picture.
Demme tackles AIDS in 'Philadelphia'
Two years later, in 1993, Demme directed Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia," leading the actor to a Best Actor Oscar. In the drama, Hanks plays a gay lawyer who is fired by his firm after they find out he has HIV and goes on to fight his unjust dismissal. The film was ground-breaking within mainstream Hollywood for its focus on AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia.
Tough themes on-screen
Demme did not shy away from tackling socially and historically important themes. In 1998, he directed the film adaptation of the Toni Morrison novel "Beloved," in which a slave is haunted by her dead daughter's spirit. And his 2008 critically acclaimed independent film "Rachel Getting Married" (London premiere above) tells the story of a broken family struggling with tragedy, blame and alcoholism.
A humanitarian activist
Beyond his extensive career in film, Demme was known for his activism on behalf of refugees and immigrants. In 2013, the Florida charity Americans for Immigrant Justice honored Demme with a human rights award for "his tireless work over the decades on behalf of Haitian refugees and other vulnerable immigrants." Demme's family requested donations be made to the charity in lieu of flowers.
The film community mourns
Demme's directed his last movie "Ricki and the Flash" in 2015 (premiere at Locarno above). The cinema community worldwide responded to his passing with tribute and lamentation. "Moonlight" Director Barry Jenkins praised Demme's kindness and generosity, calling him "a MASSIVE soul." Director Ron Howard tweeted, "Demme was a great artist, humanitarian, activist and a warm encouraging colleague."