Jean-Philippe Dion goes back in time by focusing on the journey of investigative journalist Gaétan Girouard, 25 years after his death which shook Quebec.
TVA will present the documentary Gaétan Girouard: shock wave on January 11, at 9 p.m.
In the meantime, the network unveiled on Tuesday the trailer for this production which takes us back to the 1980s and 1990s, to the heart of the personal and professional life of Gaétan Girouard, who committed suicide on January 14, 1999, in the age of 33.
“I wanted to go back to this story to understand why a man who, apparently, had a perfect life chose to take his own life,” says Jean-Philippe Dion in the first images, where we see him consult the coroner’s report regarding the death of Gaétan Girouard. We hear that the journalist “was in a state of distress” and we recall that there was little talk about mental health at the time. Mr. Girouard’s suicide had also increased the distress among certain people, as when other irreparable actions occurred, think of Kurt Cobain, the singer of Nirvana, on April 5, 1994, and André “Dédé” Fortin, the singer of Colocs, May 8, 2000.
Jocelyne Cazin and Gaétan Girouard posing in the newsroom of the Journal de Québec, August 13, 1994
Karl Tremblay / Journal de Quebec
Gaétan Girouard, who hosted Inotably covered the Oka crisis in 1990. He loved being in the heat of the action and opening the TVA news bulletins.
Host and producer Jean-Philippe Dion gives the floor to Jocelyne Cazin, who co-hosted I with Gaétan Girouard, as well as to the current host of this show, Félix Séguin.
- Listen to the legal segment with Félix Séguin broadcast live every day at 8:35 a.m. where he discusses the documentary on Gaétan Girouard via
:
“Gaétan’s doctor, who knew he was depressed and who didn’t speak to his wife, that makes no sense! […] Just because someone looks happy doesn’t mean they aren’t unhappy inside. I think that’s why we should remember Gaétan. Because yes, in appearance, he was a giant, but inside he was fragile,” underlines Mme Cazin in the trailer.
A word to his wife and daughters
The former TVA anchor Pierre Bruneau, the journalist Alain Gravel as well as the family of Gaétan Girouard also testify there.
His wife Natalie and their daughters, Justine and Marie-Claude – who were 6 and 8 years old when their father died – speak with emotion of the tragic end of the one they loved. “Despite appearances, he was not someone who had great self-confidence,” says Gaétan Girouard’s wife.
Pierre Bruneau and Gaétan Girouard, November 30, 1998.
PHOTO COURTESY TVA / LES ARCHIVES / LE JOURNAL DE MONTREAL
Produced by Productions Déferlantes, in collaboration with Quebecor Content, the documentary is a production by Maude Sabbagh which is based on numerous archive images.
Need help?
If you need help or are concerned about a loved one, call 1-866-CALL (277-3553), text 535353, or chat.