A small, intimate and private ceremony took place on a beach in Santa Monica last December, to mark the first anniversary of the death of Quebec filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, reports the Hollywood Reporter. A year after his sudden passing, the cast and crew of Dallas Buyers Club and Big Little Lies have come together to pay their respects.

The director of the film C.R.A.Z.Y. having died suddenly on Christmas Day 2021 in the midst of a pandemic - the coroner attributed his death to "a fatal cardiac arrhythmia secondary to severe coronary atherosclerosis" - his "Hollywood family" had not had the opportunity to gather to honor his life.

In what was described as a "small and intimate private gathering", various actors, writers, producers, crew members, producers and executives from Vallée's projects like the Dallas Buyers Club, Big Little Lies, the Sharp Objects series and the film Wild traveled to Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica for a service under the sun - supported by HBO and Searchlight - and hosted by his two sons, Emile and Alex.

After the eulogies, diners walked along the Pacific Ocean during the afternoon "magic hour" before tossing roses into the sea.

All the guests left with a "mixtape" produced by one of Jean-Marc Vallée's sons. The filmmaker, a great music lover, had a tradition of offering compilations of his favorite songs to his actors and production teams.

"He loved the beach when he was in town," Nathan Ross, one of his producing partners, told The Hollywood Reporter. The afternoon was perfect and appropriate. Although it has been a year, it is clear that those who were there were still grieving the seismic loss. He and his work will be missed. »

The director, born in Montreal, was found dead in his new country cottage, in Berthier-sur-Mer, on December 25, 2021 at the age of 58. He died of natural causes, having been struck down by a heart attack after his arrival.