The Filmmakers

Xavier Dolan on the moment he realized he needed time off — and why that peace is so vital

The filmmaker opens up about finding happiness outside of work, just in time to inspire your Labour Day weekends.

'Oh my god, I really don't have a life'

Xavier Dolan on the moment he realized he needed to take some time off

7 years ago
Duration 1:41
In this bonus clip from The Filmmakers, the award-winning director opens up about his new found need for some downtime.

If you're thinking of working through the long weekend, take some advice from filmmaker Xavier Dolan and treat yourself to a little time off. Dolan, who has released six feature films (and one very famous music video) all before turning 29 years old, recently had an epiphany about his "'I'll sleep when I'm dead' modus operandi" and finding happiness outside of work.

It had been so long since I had been really really happy through something else than work.- Xavier Dolan, filmmaker

In this bonus clip from The Filmmakers, the award-winning director opens up about how taking time off during post production for his new film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan to attend a friend's wedding in Italy brought him to a startling realization — "Oh my god, I really don't have a life" — and how he's been able to find moments of peace since.

Watch more of Xavier Dolan on The Filmmakers this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC Television, or stream it at cbc.ca/watch. After the episode, stick around to see this week's feature presentation, Dolan's directorial debut J'ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother).​