2016 Focus Québec: Grandes p'tites vues

Québec has a culture of its own. With this culture, it feeds its uniqueness. But this singularity does not mean uniformity, since Québec culture is vastly diverse, tremendously innovative and extremely creative. Prolific, it is driven by the un­ deniable talent of its creators who, through their works, radiates everywhere around the world. Québec cinema best reflects this unquestionable genius and creativeness of our skilled artists. Each year, the Focus Québec programme in Dresden gives us the opportunity to demonstrate just that!

This year the programme will offer you a poignant musical, a fascinating artistic documentary, a humane drama and stunning animations. Six big lil’ films, which are only a small sample of our nation’s cinematographic capacities but oh so very representative!

The 10th edition of the Focus Québec at FILMFEST DRESDEN has been put to­ gether in cooperation with the Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec (FCVQ). Since 2011, around a core programme of 50 international and national feature films and paired with 50 shorts films, FCVQ has striven to create an experience that both film enthusiasts and casual viewers enjoy. Each movie becomes an event, with the presence of filmmakers, actors and crew members. The festival is held in the historical Old Québec City, the oldest city in North America and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The sixth annual FCVQ will take place this autumn, from September 14th to 24th, 2016.

BON CINÉMA!

Olivier Bilodeau, Programmdirektor FCVQ 

The Films

FLOTS GRIS (BEYOND BLUE WAVES), Joëlle Desjardins Paquette (Fiction, Canada, 2015)

Adrift from a difficult break up, Livia is haunted by a peacock. An urban western from the heartland of East Montreal.

LA BAGATELLE, Julie Pelletier, Franie-­Éléonore Bernier, Anne-­Marie Bouchard (Documentary, Canada, 2015)

In the small town of Rouyn­Noranda in Northern Québec, Flora, a lady from Spain, attracts attention as she loudly speaks her mind. One afternoon, an unexpected event will shake things up and give an important role to Flora.

VOYAGERS, Santiago Menghini (Animation, Canada, 2015)

Travel along with the Voyager spacecrafts on their planetary expeditions spanning over three decades.

LA FEMME QUI A VU A L'OURS (THE WOMAN WHO SAW THE BEAR), Joannie Lafrenière (Documentary, Canada, 2015)

Since 1974, Lucille Côté has lived in Laterrière, surrounded by more than 250 animals. We meet a particu­ lar breed of taxidermist, living outside of the digital age, with enough skills to get by in the woods without a compass or a frying pan.

BLOOD MANIFESTO, Theodore Ushev (Animation, Canada, 2015)

All over the world, idealist revolutionaries shed their blood to denounce injustices. Yet blood is also the very symbol of life. Sketches drawn using the filmmaker’s own blood explore this paradox.

BLEU TONNERRE (BLUE THUNDER), Philippe David Gagné, Jean-­Marc E. Roy (Fiction, Canada, 2015)

Bruno, in his thirties and in dire need of a purpose, ends up homeless after a breakup. Without despairing, this sawmill worker finds the drive to put his beloved blue suit back on and rekindle an old flame.