Yves Lever (1942 – July 7, 2020) was a Canadian film critic and historian from Quebec.André Duchesne, "L’historien du cinéma Yves Lever est décédé". La Presse, July 8, 2020. He was historically most noted for his 2016 biography of film director Claude Jutra, which addressed allegations that Jutra had sexually abused underage children.Graeme Hamilton, "Quebec film industry shaken by book claiming prominent director Claude Jutra was a pedophile". National Post, February 16, 2016. The statement was controversial, but Lever's publisher stood behind him,Florence Sara G. Ferraris, "Boréal se porte à la défense d’Yves Lever". Le Devoir, February 17, 2016. and Jutra's name was quickly removed from numerous cultural and geographic entities that had been named in his memory, including Quebec's Jutra Awards and the national Claude Jutra Award.Matthew Hays, "Considering the Claude Jutra scandal, one week later". CBC Arts, February 23, 2016.
Born and raised in Marsoui, Quebec, Lever taught film studies at a variety of institutions throughout his career, including Collège Ahuntsic, the Université de Montréal and Université Laval.Marie-Josée R. Roy, "Décès d’Yves Lever, le biographe de Claude Jutra". Le Journal de Montréal, July 8, 2020. His other published books included Cinéma et société québécoise (1972), Histoire générale du cinéma au Québec (1988), Les 100 films québécois qu’il faut voir (1995), Dictionnaire de la censure au Québec : littérature et cinéma (2006)Élie Castiel, "Review of Dictionnaire de la censure au Québec : littérature et cinéma Sous la direction de Pierre Hébert, Yves Lever et Kenneth Landry. Montréal : Fides, 2006, 717 pages"]. Séquences, Issue 247 (2007). p. 24. and J.A DeSève, diffuseur d'images (2008).
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