Other films on this theme
Dans un rectangle absolu, le printemps
Sarah Seené
”In Quebec, as everywhere else on the planet, the spring of 2020 was strangely marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and confinement. So I decided to take advantage of this singular time to put the upheaval of seasonal rebirth into images in the form of a short animated film made with my scanner, flowers gleaned from my neighborhood and everyday objects. The rectangular scanning surface of the digitizer, like a symbol of the confinement between our four walls, remains the sole setting for this film. This project is the fruit of a number of experiments carried out between May and December 2020, aimed at pushing my artistic work off its beaten track, leading me to explore frame-by-frame animation for the first time and to momentarily move away from analog to a digital practice.”
Le spectre visible
Sarah Seené
Lightning is the combination of thunder and intense electromagnetic radiation in the visible part of the spectrum. As unpredictable as it is sudden, this natural phenomenon leaves its mark on those who experience it. The Visible Spectrum is a portrait of five people who were not struck by lightning – but rather “fulgurated” – as they survived its impact. Each of their experiences is unique in its physicality, metaphysical dimension or philosophical significance. Through the intimacy of their stories, the essence of their faces, voices and bodies, and supported by the meta-media presence of a filmic texture electrified by static charges, this short documentary elaborates a sensitive reflection about life when it has so suddenly brushed against death.
Il fait gris dans ta tête, tout à coup
Sarah Seené
Il fait gris dans ta tête, tout à coup (All of a sudden it’s gray in your head) is the work of two artists who also form a couple. This visual poem, which combines Super-8, Polaroid and paint on film, recounts a traumatic event they both shared. With modesty and delicacy, images and words interact, giving rise to a sensory autobiographical work of great meaning.
Orbites
Sarah Seené
Marie-Christine, who lost her sight some years ago, explores life in a particularly sensory way—through her fingertips. Through her personal experience, she arouses her son’s curiosity and sense of wonder about the beauty of the universe. Drawing from a constellation of highly textured analogue images and a rich tapestry of sound, Orbits journeys into the sensorial depths of Marie-Christine’s memory, pondering the very essence of love and legacy.
Le silence a disparu
Sarah Seené
The silence subtly disappeared sometime in mid-January 2019, following a traumatic event that occurred one year before. Since then, white noise, scintillating sounds, and other dysfunctional frequencies have been with me every moment of every day, like impalpable symbols of trauma, superimposed. This self-portrait, shot in Super 8 film, illustrates the sensory chaos provoked by permanent tinnitus. I have had to tame this ‘phantom pain’, like perpetually surging sound waves, to define a new state of silence.
Lumen
Sarah Seené
Lumen (meaning ”light” in Latin) is a very short documentary film shot on Super-8 that portrays a young girl with oculocutaneous albinism. Despite the hypersensitivity engendered by this genetic disease, the depigmentation of his skin and eyes gives him an extraordinary aura. This film echoes the Fovea photographic series about visually impaired young people.
La mer en soi
Clara Prieur
The spirit of the sea is strong. One that many of us who have grown up by its shores hold within us. Even at times when we are far from this untamable element, the energy remains, and affects who we are, and how we think. The sea inside is a reflection on this connection, juxtaposed with the winter time urban environment where we currently reside. Movement based expression travelling through delicate peace, excitement, and moments of violence sculpt this interpretation. With this melee between our memories, fantasies and reality, comes the satisfaction of reconnecting with our identity.
Salir
Clara Prieur
When a woman has been abused, how can she regain power over her body and mind? How can she resurface? Salir is an immersion into sensorial memories and an attempt at embodying resilience. Dance places the body at the center of a cathartic process, and becomes the driving force of an emotional journey to wash away violence. In this narrative, two performers embody different aspects of the same character, offering contrasting perspectives on her relationship with the world.
Nos cendres
Marie-Claude Béchard
When Ophélie visits her depressed mother, who lives isolated in the forest, she discovers that she is very ill because of her addiction to cigarettes. Disturbed by the thought of losing her, Ophélie decides to stay at home to help her quit. Little does she realize that cigarettes are not the only cause of her mother’s suffering.
Flots gris
Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
Adrift from a difficult break up, Livia is haunted by a peacock. An urban Western from the heartland of East Montreal.
Sans dehors ni dedans
Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
Under the omniscient gaze of an iguana, a 10-year-old boy takes care of his mother, a singer going adrift.
Memento Mori
Clara Prieur
On a Monday morning, a man rings at Mary’s door. Just before he disappeared, he delivers her a strange parcel: a magnificent fruit tray adorned with a ribbon inscribed with a date. What is this date? Why is an hourglass hidden between pomegranates and bunches of grapes? Dreading a sign announcing her death, Mary wonders if she is not living her last week. We dive into her mind for these seven capital days, looking for inner peace and this mysterious deliverer of forbidden fruits.
Habiter la maison
Renée Beaulieu
Simon, entrepreneur and family man, planned everything to take care of his family, including the construction of a magnificent house, but he didn’t foresee that his family would become like life itself: elusive and unpredictable.
Larry (iel)
Catherine Legault
A look at the intimate world of young non-binary trans photographer Laurence Philomène as they put together their first book, Puberty, a series of self-portraits documenting their transition during hormone therapy. Mirroring Philomène’s autobiographical approach, Larry (they/them) highlights the cinematic power of the artist’s vibrant, colour-saturated images and above all, their willingness to share their story with authenticity and vulnerability. Gender non-conforming identities, body diversity and the challenges of self-affirmation are also explored through an exclusive foray into Philomène’s family and community. Beyond the story of individual transformation, the film chronicles a society that is likewise transitioning, evolving as it grows. A celebration of those who refuse to conform, Larry (they/them) is a luminous and engaging portrait of the complex, often misunderstood multiplicity of trans and non-binary identities and experiences, bringing to the screen one of the most inspiring and original voices of their generation and an LGBTQ+ community icon.
Une femme animée
Gynette Mercier
Women walking in transparency in this enchanted forest with sound and reflexion of my mind because the beauty light color and sound alike a watercolor palette print the vibration of my feeling in the contact with this forest and sound move my sensibility and mind to express print the movement in color with poetry I let this memory turn you upside down and think of the future of this forest our world!
Nitrate
Yousra Benziane
When the fireworks inflame the memory of a war survival. A chemistry that links spectacle and war, nitrate is an element found in both fireworks and bombs. Nitrate examines what happens when a show rekindles a survivor’s memories of war, when the light present plunges him into a past darkness.
Fumigènes
Florence Lafond
The night is coming to an end : the air is saturated and heavy, their minds are feeling both dazed and unsteady. The party seems like it’ll never end. But during one bike ride, longtime friends Camille and Felix get closer and closer to each other – although this nocturnal desire should best be ignored.
Meute
Florence Lafond
That morning, as she gets ready for her dance audition, Alex is outraged when her mother forces her once again to babysit her disabled sister.
Jusqu’à ce que tu meures
Florence Lafond
Xavier comes home early in the morning to find his girlfriend Léa in bed. This was the first time he spent the night elsewhere since they decided to open up their relationship. While the idea was to strengthen their bond, it might actually have been their biggest mistake…
Fabuleuses
Mélanie Charbonneau
Laurie is a young journalist working to get established. She lives with her best friend, Élizabeth, a feminist. One day, Laurie meets Clara, an Instagram and YouTube star. The two quickly bond, to Élizabeth’s consternation: she fears her friend is going to change radically. The three young women’s ideals are put to a harsh test. How do you make your way in this topsy-turvy world without betraying your true self? In her first feature, Mélanie Charbonneau tackles that question through the prism of the world of influencers.
Seule
Mélanie Charbonneau
On a grey and windy January day, Annie tries to recover from a horrible break up by organizing her new apartment. She obsesses about restoring her own happiness at any cost.
Je ne suis pas un robot
Mélanie Charbonneau
Marie-Chantal is a naive, childlike woman who works in a web moderation center called Soulshine. Day after day, she takes on the alienating and repetitive task of viewing violent content, nudity, death threats and conspiracy theories on social networks. After one particularly harrowing day, she meets an enigmatic new moderator who seems to have stepped straight out of a 2000s sci-fi movie. She leads her on a wild quest to track down a mysterious kitten killer with viral videos.
Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous
Mélanie Charbonneau
A woman-tampon joins a man-astronaut on a road trip to the moon. Daniel is on a mission to scatter his mother’s ashes and Claude is hoping for her period to make a miraculous return. A modern tale that captures the fever dream of a first voyage to the moon.