25 Quebec films for 2023
Maison 4:3/Laurence Grandbois/Immina Films
Cinephiles, prepare your agenda! Métro offers a selection of Quebec films that will be released in theaters this year and which particularly deserve your attention.
Rodeo by Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
Synopsis: “After a stormy separation, Serge Jr (Maxime Le Flaguais) takes his nine-year-old daughter Lily on a truck trip across Canada. Off to Alberta and the legendary Badlands World's Best Truck Rodeo, a race he and Lily dreamed of so much. On the road, under the increasingly worried gaze of his daughter, Serge will have to face the consequences of his actions. A harsh and poetic road movie that delves into the mystery of father-daughter relationships.”
Good to know: This first feature film by Joëlle Desjardins Paquette earned her the Borsos for best director at the Whistler Film Festival, last December.
Released: February 3rd
The Diver by Francis Leclerc
< p>Synopsis: “The Diverillustrates the effervescence of restoration through the eyes of Stéphane (Henri Picard) who dreams of becoming an illustrator but is engulfed in a threatening spiral.”
Good to know: The film is an adaptation from the eponymous novel by Stéphane Larue which enjoyed great popular and critical success when it was released in 2016.
Released : February 24
Coco Ferme by Sébastien Gagné
Benoît Brière plays in Coco Ferme. Photo: Laurence Grandbois.
Synopsis: “Max, an 11-year-old entrepreneur, is forced to close his business and move to a rural village with his father. When Max discovers chickens in his cousin Charles' abandoned barn, the duo decide to start a new business.”
Good to know: This is a new movie in the series< em>Contes pour tous, which saw the birth of La guerre des tuquesas well as Bach et Bottine.
Released: February 24th
Montreal Girls by Patricia Chica
The main characters of Montreal Girls. Photo: Objectif 9 and Flirt Films
Synopsis: “Montreal Girlstells the story of Ramy, a young poet from the Middle East who goes to Montreal to study medicine. There, he finds his delirious cousin Tamer who introduces him to the underground world and the city's pulsating nightlife. This exciting new world inspires Ramy's innate desire to devote himself to poetry and throws him into a tumultuous relationship with two young women who challenge his perceptions and reveal his destiny to him.”
Good to know : The trilingual feature film (French, English and Arabic) won the prize for best film at the Los Angeles International Film Festival.
Released: in March
Twilight for a killerby Raymond St-Jean
Synopsis: “Freely inspired by real-life events, this crime drama tells how, at the end of the 1970s, Donald Lavoie (Éric Bruneau), a formidable hitman who works under the orders of the underworld boss of South-West Montreal , Claude Dubois (Benoît Gouin), takes under his wing a young recruit who soon compromises him in a dirty double murder. Lavoie escapes justice, but it is only a postponement for detective sergeant Patrick Burns (Sylvain Marcel) who tries to convince him to testify to bring down the Dubois clan. To test his devotion, Dubois asks Lavoie to eliminate a loved one. Hunted by the Dubois clan on one side and by Burns on the other, Donald finds himself caught in a tighter vice.”
Good to know: Donald Lavoie has become an informer for the police in the early 80s, confessing to having committed 27 murders on behalf of the Dubois family.
Output: 10 mars
The shoemaker by François Bouvier
Synopsis: “The Shoemakerretraces the story of Victoire Du Sault (Rose-Marie Perreault), founder of the shoemaking industry at the origin of the fortune of the Dufresnes, best known for the castle that bears their name in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Although the entrepreneurial spirit and professional career of this visionary command admiration, it is above all her love impulses that form the heart of this melodrama where an impossible love, a sulphurous love triangle and a family secret mingle. shocking which risks leaving no one unscathed.
Good to know: The period film is set in the 1880s. A first block of filming in the fall of 2021 had to be interrupted due to the pandemic.
Released: March 17th
The Coyote by Katherine Jerkovic
Synopsis: “A chef in his heyday, Camilo (Jorge Martinez Colorado) is now a worn fifty-something who works for a cleaning company. We guess a personal failure in the past of this solitary immigrant settled in Montreal. But Camilo wants to get back on his feet and the opportunity to rediscover his culinary passion finally presents itself: a former colleague is going to give him a chance in a cozy restaurant in La Malbaie. Everything is in place for this new beginning when Camilo receives a visit from his daughter Tania, with whom he had cut ties because of his addiction problems. Tania tells him that he is a grandfather and asks him to take care of the child while she undergoes yet another rehab. The arrival of this grandson upsets Camilo's plans: there will be a new beginning for him, of course, but not the one he imagined.”
Good to know: This second feature film by Katherine Jerkovic had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and won Borsos for Best Film as well as Best Performance (for Jorge Martinez Colorado) at the Whistler Film Festival.
Released: March 24
Bungalow by Lawrence Côté-Collins
Synopsis: “Sarah and Jonathan buy a bungalow to renovate into their dream home. The bad decisions, the lack of cash and the lies push the couple to cross extreme zones. Their life turns into a nightmare. How far will they go to save their love and appearances? Watch out for small renovations!»
Good to know: Director Lawrence Côté-Collins is behind some forty short films and a feature-length docufiction, < em>Dismissed, in addition to having worked on reality shows, namely An almost perfect supperand Double Occupation Greece.
Released: April 7th
Farador by Édouard Albernhe-Tremblay
Synopsis: “An excellent master of Dungeons and Dragons role-playing games, Charles escapes the constraints of everyday life by spending all his free time directing games in the World of Farador, to the delight of his two roommates and lifelong friends. , Louis and William. But, the unexpected return of her sister to the country will disrupt the little routine of our “adultescents”. In the grip of a deep existential crisis, Kim will do everything possible to make Charles realize his dreams while the other two will do everything to prevent him. From then on, clashes in the fantasy world and in real life will take on a new dimension. It will be… the legendary Battle of Farador!”
Good to know: The film (which was announced under its working title, The Battle of Farador) is the adaptation of the short film of the same name which, when released in 2006, was a viral phenomenon on YouTube.
Release: April 21
Au grand jour by Emmanuel Tardif
Synopsis: “Baby is born into a dying world. He opens his eyes in a family that closes them. He pushes his cry in a house where we are silent, where we hide. Baby brings chaos. He is unloved. Before suffocating in this deleterious atmosphere, Hélène, the young mother, leaves these four creaking walls, thus abandoning her parents, her brother and her child who are slowly smoldering in their respective silos. She leaves the gloomy indoor swimming pool to embrace the immensity of the river, in search of the father, builder of better worlds. It's a one-night story told backwards, masterfully twisted, to bring its blind spots to light.”
Good to know: This second feature film by Emmanuel Tardif is part of the official Proxima Competition selection at the 56th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czechia.
Release: spring  ;
Heart of slush by Mariloup Wolfe
Synopsis: “This coming of age Québécois invites us to meet Billie (Lilianne Skelly), 16, who begins her summer as a lifeguard at the water park with her two best friends and her perfect big sister Annette (Camille Felton). Her heart is turned upside down when she falls in love with Pierre (Joseph Delorey), a young local cyclist prodigy, and Annette also falls under his spell. The result is a heartbreaking love triangle where Billie must once and for all take her place, shine bright and fight to live the love story she deserves while protecting her bond with her sister who will prove fragile. , but ultimately indestructible.”
Good to know: This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Sarah-Maude Beauchesne published in 2014.
Release: June 16
Time for a Summer by Louise Archambault
Patrice Robitaille in Time for a Summer. Photo: Immina Films
Synopsis: “For more than 25 years, Marc Côté (Patrice Robitaille), street chaplain and parish priest, has lived with the poor and the homeless. Today, Marc is a worn-out man. Exhausted from holding his church, which serves as a refuge, at arm's length, stressed by the bills he can no longer pay, Marc must face the facts: he will have to close the place. Like a call from Providence, he inherits a property in Bas-du-Fleuve and decides to take a band of homeless people with him, men and women who, just like him, need a vacation. …»
Good to know: Screenwriter Marie Vien has made her third film in four years, after Arletteand 14 days, 12 nights.
Released: August 2nd
A Respectable Woman by Bernard Emond
Hélène Florent stars in Bernard Emond's next film. Photo: Maison 4:3
Synopsis: “Trois-Rivières, thirties. A woman (Hélène Florent) separated from her husband (Martin Dubreuil) for 11 years takes him home after the death of her concubine. He brings with him the three little girls he had from his second union.”
Good to know: The screenplay was written based on the short storyPena di vivere cosi by Italian author Luigi Pirandello, published in the 1920s.
Release: in August
Ru by Charles-Olivier Michaud
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The novel Ruis brought to the big screen. Photo: Immina Films
Synopsis: “After a dangerous sea crossing and a stay in a camp in Malaysia, the young Vietnamese Tinh and her family are accepted as refugees in Canada and arrive in Granby where they begin their new life. But for Tinh, adapting has its share of difficulties. Already shy and reserved by nature, she must learn a new language and integrate into her new environment. Haunted by the hardships of the journey, Tinh will have to draw deep within herself the resilience necessary for her survival and her happiness.”
Good to know: This adaptation of the eponymous novel by Kim Thúy is written by Jacques Davidts, well known for the series Les Parent and Les Mecs.
Release: September 22
Happy Days by Chloé Robichaud
Sophie Desmarais plays a conductor in Happy Days. Photo: Maison 4:3
Synopsis: “Emma (Sophie Desmarais), a young thirtysomething, is a talented conductor and rising star on the Montreal scene. Happy Dayschronicles her complex relationship with her father and agent Patrick (Christian Bégin), who has maintained a devious hold on her since childhood. The possibility of obtaining an important position within a prestigious orchestra only raises the stakes for Emma. She will have to give way to her true emotions and make choices, as much for her music as for herself, if she wants to manage to navigate healthily between her career and her romantic relationship with Naëlle, a cellist recently separated, mother of a boy five years.”
Good to know: Sophie Desmarais also starred in the director's feature debut, Sarah Prefers Running.
Released: October 20
Tell me why these things are so beautiful by Lyne Charlebois
Alexandre Goyette and Mylène Mackay co-star in Tell me why things are so beautiful. Photo: Marlène Gélineau Payette
Synopsis: “1931. Brother Marie-Victorin (Alexandre Goyette) is 46 when he meets Marcelle Gauvreau (Mylène Mackay), 23. Both have been close to death and share the same love of God and nature. He becomes her teacher, later she becomes his assistant. Their friendship changes. Marie-Victorin offers Marcelle different readings on sexuality which she hastens to comment on from her own intimate experiences. In an epistolary exchange that will last until the death of Marie-Victorin, they explore human desires and “biology without a veil”. »
Good to know: This is the second time that Mylène Mackay plays Marcelle Gauvreau, a historical character she also played in The Forgotten Flowers(2019) by André Forcier.
Released: in the fall
La mete by Anne Émond
Director Anne Émond. Photo: Josie Desmarais/Metro
Synopsis: “Sophie (Catherine-Anne Toupin) is a hunted, traumatized woman. Seeking to escape her reality, she lands in an Airbnb hundreds of miles from her home. She is welcomed there by Martin (Guillaume Cyr), who occupies the premises with his aunt, Louise (Lise Roy). Over the course of well-watered evenings, tongues loosen and a disturbing complicity emerges between the man and the traveler… What if Sophie's presence in this remote bled was not so fortuitous?» < /p>
Good to know: This is the same cast as for the eponymous play presented at La Licorne in 2018 and written by Catherine-Anne Toupin, who co-signed the screenplay for the film adaptation.
Released: in the fall
You'll never know by Robin Aubert
Robin Aubert won the best film award for Les Affamés at the Gala Québec Cinéma, in 2018. Photo: Mario Beauregard/Métro
Synopsis: “Paul Vincent, an old man at the end of his life, is locked up in his room in a CHSLD during the COVID-19 pandemic. The wait is long. The lack of staff is felt. Without news of his lover who also lives in the same residence, Mr. Vincent will do everything to find her. He knows she's still alive. He must join her.”
Good to know: This is Robin Aubert's first feature film since his acclaimed film Les Affamés (2017). He co-directed the second season of C'est comme ça que je t'aime last year.
Release: in the fall
Solo by Sophie Dupuis
Théodore Pellerin in the next film by Sophie Dupuis. Photo: Lou Scamble
Synopsis: “This flamboyant proposal tells the story of Simon (Théodore Pellerin), rising star of the drag queen scenefrom Montreal. It's love at first sight when he meets Olivier, the new recruit of the bar-show where he performs. While Simon believes he is living an electrifying love story, a toxic dynamic arises between them stemming from Olivier's narcissistic personality. At the same time, Simon persists in wanting to reconnect with his mother, whom he has always idealized even if she rejects him, a famous opera singer who has returned to settle in the country after 15 years of absence. Weakened by the failure of these two impossible loves, Simon has no choice but to change, not without having first hit rock bottom.”
Good to know: The film was advertised under its working title, Drag.
Release: in the fall
Fir trees by Stéphane Moukarzel
Etienne Galloy and Diane Rouxel share the screen in Sapins. Photo: Laurence Granbois Bernard
Synopsis: “Rémi (Étienne Galloy), 21, leaves his birthplace of La Tuque in Quebec to go sell Christmas trees in New York in order to repay a debt threatening his future. Dropped in the depths of the Bronx, he will meet Laura (Diane Rouxel), a tongue-in-cheek French activist, who will be his colleague for the next month. Together, they will discover the vibrant community inhabiting their street corner and will learn to survive the absurd and dramatic trials that the wild world of Christmas tree sales has in store for them.”
Good to know : This is the first feature film for Stéphane Moukarzel, whose short films We had (2014) and Black Friday (2017) each won a Prends it's short.
Release: at the end of the year
Testament of Denys Arcand
Synopsis: “In an era of political correctness, identity shifts, protests, cultural scandals, activism, media storms and other contestations, an elderly man who has lost faith in humanity is in search of new bearings. who could soothe her.”
Good to know: Marie-Mai will take her first steps as an actress in this film.
Released: in 2023
Simple like Sylvain by Monia Chokri< strong>
Magalie Lépine-Blondeau stars in Simple comme Sylvain. Photo: Fred Gervais
Synopsis: “Sophia (Magalie Lépine-Blondeau), 40 years old, has lived in a relationship for 10 years with Xavier. They have a good life and their couple is rather stable, despite a certain muffled dissatisfaction on both sides. Sophia has the feeling of working too much and doubling her work at home, while Xavier feels diminished by the infantilization that Sophia expresses towards him. Their intimate life is only hygienic. They don't complain about it, but obviously something is off on that side. The one aspect that seems to remain solid is their social life, as well as the bond Sophia has developed with her in-laws. Sophia's life changes dramatically the day she meets Sylvain, an entrepreneur from the Laurentians. She will leave everything to live this burning passion. Perhaps the last of her life.”
Good to know: Magalie Lépine-Blondeau also starred in Monia Chokri's first feature film, My Brother's Wife (2019). Both were featured in the film Les amours imaginaires(2010) by Xavier Dolan as actresses.
Released: in 2023
The Red Rooms by Pascal Plante
Juliette Gariépy and Laurie Babin play in Les chambres rouges. Photo: Entract Films
Synopsis: “Kelly-Anne (Juliette Gariépy) wakes up every morning at the gates of the courthouse to secure a place in the hyper-publicized trial of Ludovic Chevalier (Maxwell McCabe Lokos), a serial killer who obsesses her. As the days go by, the young woman comes to forge ties with another groupie (Laurie Babin), which will momentarily extricate her from her suffocating loneliness. But by dint of rubbing shoulders with the parents of the victims in a trial that gets bogged down, Kelly-Anne has more and more difficulty maintaining her psychological balance and assuming her unhealthy fixation for the executioner. She will then try by all means to get her hands on the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of the murder of one of the victims with whom she has a disturbing resemblance.
Good to know : Pascal Plante's second feature film, Nadia Butterfly, was part of the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival in 2020.
Released: 2023
Humanist Vampire Seeks Consenting Suicidal by Ariane Louis-Seize  ;
Sarah Montpetit and Félix-Antoine Bénard star in Ariane Louis-Seize’s black comedy. Photo: Lou Scamble.
Synopsis: “Sasha (Sophie Montpetit) and Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), 16, were made for each other. While she is a humanist vampire looking for a consenting suicidal person, he is a chronically depressed person seeking to give meaning to his death… What should have been an exchange of good practices turns into a quest for identity in which the two new friends will fall in love with each other and manage to free themselves from a part of themselves to reconcile with their inner nature.”
Good to know: C t is a feature debut for director Ariane Louis-Seize, who is a regular at TIFF with her short films (La peau sauvage, Like a comet, The depths, etc.) many of which have been presented in official competition.
Released: in 2023
My Mother's Men by Anik Jean
Léane Labrèche-Dor plays the lead role in Anik Jean's first feature film. Photo: Immina Films
Synopsis: “During this luminous drama, we follow Elsie (Léane Labrèche-Dor), a disillusioned twenty-something, surprised by her mother's last wishes — namely to find her five ex-husbands to disperse his ashes in five separate places. She will have no choice but to reconnect with her former fathers-in-law, as well as with her father with whom she has been at odds for too long. Five urns, five places, five men, his adventure will not be easy, but will allow him to reconcile with his past and gradually tame his own demons.”
Good to know: Patrick Huard, spouse of Anik Jean, has a role in the first feature film by the director, who made the short films La porte and Sois sage as well as the medium-length film Lost Soul.
Release: in 2023
