Christine Chevarie-Lessard’s Point d’équilibre (Productions Avenida/NFB) in Quebec theatres on December 14. A feature doc filmed at the École supérieure de ballet du Québec.

December 6, 2018 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

On December 14, the original French version of Christine Chevarie-Lessard’s Point d’équilibre (A Delicate Balance) will be released in theatres in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières, while Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée will be showing the English-subtitled version of the film. The feature doc takes a sensitive, behind-the-scenes look at children in the École supérieure de ballet du Québec’s professional training program. It was produced by Chantal Lafleur and Geneviève Thibert (Productions Avenida) and Nathalie Cloutier (NFB), with Colette Loumède (NFB) as executive producer.

The film had its world premiere at the 2018 Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), where it won the Joliette Institution’s Women Inmates’ Award. The jury of five inmates selected the film as their favourite documentary among eight films in the official competition and Panorama “for taking us back to childhood, for its wonderful performances and authentic, touching testimonials, for its fluid direction, for captivating and informing us, and for showing us a fascinating new world.”

About the film

Shot from a child’s height, Point d’équilibre explores the inner lives and dreams of young dancers on the cusp of adolescence—a pivotal time when their illusions begin to unravel. In this tender and captivating documentary, students at the École supérieure de ballet du Québec candidly share their stories with viewers.

About the filmmaker

Christine Chevarie-Lessard made her first film at age 16, at a competition called Course destination Brossard. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Communications from UQAM and working as a researcher for several years, she graduated from Quebec’s INIS documentary program in 2011 and dedicated herself to filmmaking. She directed the short film Quand tout est possible (2011), which won the 2013 Canal D young documentarian competition; La comédienne d’Amérique (2013); and Worcestershire (2015). Her work also includes projects for television, such as the documentary Les chiens pisteurs (2014), interviews for CinéTFO, and youth programming (MiniTFO). She produces, directs, and edits videos of all genres for the web. Since 2015, she has organized and led the Dames du DOC film club through Réalisatrices Équitables, whose board she also sits on. Point d’équilibre is her first feature documentary.

About the NFB

The NFB is Canada’s public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB producers are embedded in communities across the country, from St. John’s to Vancouver, working with talented creators on innovative and socially relevant projects. The NFB is a leader in gender equity in film and digital media production, and is working to strengthen Indigenous-led production, guided by the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. NFB productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 20 Canadian Screen Awards, 18 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 100 Genies. To access NFB works, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for mobile devices.

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