Les Films Outsiders

A photographer sets off toward a mysterious forest to find Boychuk, witness and victim of the Great Fire that swept through Northern Ontario at the turn of the 20th century. But before she arrives, she learns that Boychuck has just perished. Survivors of the long-ago fire, Tom and Charlie, two elderly men who have chosen to live out their last days in the woods, are introduced to Marie Desneige, whose 60 year institutionalization has only fueled her passion for life. Meanwhile, the photographer is discovering that Boychuck had been a painter, whose life’s work had been entirely inspired by the Great Fire. The story immerses us in a historical drama while captivating us with the strange lives of these men of the forest. Three men who, in choosing freedom above all else, made a deal with death.

Hôtel La Louisiane is, at its core, a film about freedom and dignity. Freedom for those who wish to live in a place where they are able to feel inspired. Dignity for the hotel owner to stand by his promise to his father and keep their mission alive: to provide an affordable sanctuary for artists and students in search of fulfilling employment, which they certainly won’t find at other hotels. Freedom, too, to be in an environment of tolerance and rid of prejudice. This film is not just a story about a mythical setting in Paris; it portrays the microcosm of a lifestyle in which collective values reign supreme. A film where what’s real and true is placed above national borders or cultural barriers.

Seven years ago, Max’s parents died in a car accident. Since then, the young man, now 35, has been treading water. He manages his father’s hockey memorabilia shop, lives in the apartment upstairs, and watches each and every Habs game with his friends. But he’s forced to take a hard look at his life when his girlfriend, Julie, leaves him, and his sister, Nathalie, comes back to town.

When the astronaut Celeste blasts off into space on her first solo mission, the guardian robot that has accompanied her throughout her childhood is left alone to wonder: What now? A tomorrow-days lullaby about finding your place in the universe.

At 97, filmmaker Fernand Dansereau delivers a vibrant and inspiring final documentary! He draws us into rich and sensitive exchanges: on the joy of creating with two painter friends, on aging as an artist with Marcel Sabourin and Denys Arcand, on old age with Janette Bertrand and Guy Rocher, on everyday wisdom with philosophers, and on spirituality and mourning with a few friends. He also talks about the future of the planet with his grandchildren.