Charles Officer, an acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, has died at the age of 48.
He is most known for being the director of CBC’s critically acclaimed series The Porter, which depicted the lesser-known Canadian history of Black men who served as train porters in the 1920s.
Officer’s work in the film industry has touched many souls during his time and has left an impact on those who have been reached.
Friend and Canadian director Sarah Polley shared some words in memory of Officer in a Instagram post following his death.
Sarah Polley's condolence message and words of memories of Charles Officer. Photo credit: Screengrab & Leshae Barrett
“My acting class partner, my film school classmate,” Polly said. “The most pure and uncorrupted heart. More capable of sympathetic joy than anyone I’ve ever known in this industry and beyond. He revelled in other people’s joys. Made you know he was watching and cheering you on. He made masterpieces. Loved so deeply and well. God, this is a big loss. For all of us.”
Officer was born on Oct. 28, 1975, and died Dec. 1, 2023, after spending most of his life in film.
In his early life, Officer had played professional hockey in the U.K. but left the sport due to injury, and that is when he moved to film.
His first film, When Morning Comes, appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2000 and his filmography grew from there.
Condolences have been made by many, with some even coming from social media posts made by the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) and the Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF).
“He left his lasting imprint on the Canadian film & television landscape, gliding seamlessly from acting, writing and producing to directing in feature films, documentaries and series television,” DGC President Warren P. Sonoda said in an Instagram post.
He spoke of Officer’s versatility and work ethic as well as his passion for creation before closing out his word.
“His loss will be felt and his presence missed. Thank you, Charles Officer, for everything you brought to our community,” Sonoda said.
Tonya Williams, an actress, producer and founder of Reel World Screen Institute shared some kind words as well.
“A beautiful soul, a creative genius. I loved this human being,” Williams said on an X post. “What a blessing that we got to know him even for this short time, what a blessing his impactful work will be around forever. 🙏🏾 #CharlesOfficer”
The Porter was the most nominated TV series at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards with 19 nominations over several categories and the biggest win for Best Drama Series.
The Canadian Academy shared on a social media post a few final words of their own for Officer in memory of his life.
“We are saddened to hear about the passing of Charles Officer.” They said on an Instagram post. “His creative spirit will continue to inspire those in our industry, and we will always recognize and celebrate the extraordinary stories he brought to life on our screens. Our hearts are with those who knew him and loved him. ❤️”