Peter Wintonick lived many lives in his 60 years: filmmaker, father, lover, friend, mentor, writer, curator and editor. He embraced his calling—the creation and promotion of the documentary—with joy and absolute dedication. Peter could be harshly critical of phonies but he would go to improbable lengths to support those who touched his heart with their sincerity. To some, he was a laughing Buddha; to others, a saint; to colleagues, he was Canada’s doc ambassador—a figure whose diplomatic presence was recognized on the global stage.
Peter was beloved by many. A true Gemini, he was a mass of contradictions. An apparent party-loving hedonist, he regularly toiled ‘round the clock to edit films, write manifestos and curate films. A quipster and master of the ironic statement, he was fiercely political, and often worked for no pay on films that espoused causes of the repressed and indigent. A shy and private man, he exposed a myriad of public faces to those who wanted to get to know him.
POV has gathered 18 people who knew Peter well to offer their stories about him. Peter was a larger-than-life figure who touched many lives around the world. Many more people could have contributed to the pages of POV. Consider this a provisional attempt to document Peter. Surely, a book and doc will follow.
