March 5, 2015 – Ottawa, National Film Board of Canada
For the 10th consecutive year, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will join in the celebrations of the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF), which runs from March 6‒22, 2015, under the theme of Joie de vivre brings us together. In all of Canada’s provinces and territories, the NFB will present three film programs consisting of some 245 free screenings in 78 cities, plus an exclusive free Web offer available throughout the event on RVF.ca.
French speakers and francophiles across the country can enjoy a panoply of films (including a number of recent works) aimed at viewers of all ages. Linked by the RVF’s theme of community, these documentaries and animations zoom in on people’s lives, diversity and humanity: artists and friends rallying around a group project, French-speaking deaf people expressing their rich culture through language, youth from different backgrounds coming together on vacation or through different activities, and more.
Quick Facts
• Three programs at a venue near you:
o Program 1 (99 min): 48 screenings in 37 towns
The documentary Les héritiers du club by Renée Blanchar
Preceded by the animation Bus Story by tali
Les héritiers du club (English: A Place That Matters), a film of warm humanity with universal appeal, takes place in the Acadian community of Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage, New Brunswick, where the former Youth Club is undergoing major renovations. This culturally and architecturally rich historical site is now the rallying point for several Acadian artists and friends who want to resurrect the original spirit of the place. Incorporating various personal stories, the film sketches a complex shared history and explores how memories are passed on. Preceded by the animated short Histoires de bus (English: Bus Story), a charming comedy that took two awards at the prestigious Annecy Festival.
o Program 2 (53 min): 76 screenings in 50 towns
The documentary Les mots qui dansent by Yves Étienne Massicotte
Preceded by the animation Isabelle au bois dormant by Claude Cloutier
Les mots qui dansent (English: The Dance of Words) portrays young francophone artists who have embraced their deaf identity in adulthood after spending a difficult childhood in the grey zone between two cultures: that of people with normal hearing, and that of the hearing-impaired. These emerging artists show how they are using the arts to build a culture of their own that makes them proud. Preceded by the animated short Isabelle au bois dormant (English: Sleeping Betty), a deliciously funny romp that has garnered over 20 awards around the world.
o Program 3 (50 min): 120 screenings in 58 towns
The documentary Bonnes vacances by Louiselle Noël and
the fictional work La nouvelle au village by Jean Bourbonnais
Preceded by the animation Square Roots by Patrick Doyon
Two films showing how youth from different backgrounds come together. Bonnes vacances (English: On My Own) follows seven-year-old Samuel during his week at Camp Ectus, a summer retreat on the shores of Chaleur Bay in northern New Brunswick. La nouvelle au village (English: The New Girl in Town), shot in Saint-Pierre-Jolys, Manitoba, focuses on English-speaking newcomer Alexandra, showing how the games, concerns and behaviours of boys and girls in early adolescence are similar everywhere. Preceded by the animated short Square Roots, which chronicles the frantic journey of one very singular robot…
• Four films online at RVF.ca:
o This program sets the mood for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games with two short films shot at the São Paulo Games in 1963. Premiering online are Corps agiles and Appuis et suspensions by Yves Leduc and Jean Dansereau, respectively profiling women gymnasts and a male gold medalist in gymnastics, Canadian Willie Weiler. Rounding off the program is …26 fois de suite! (English: 26 Times in a Row), a short film about the 1976 Montreal Olympics marathon by the great Jean-Claude Labrecque.
o Youngsters are in for a special treat with the exclusive Canadian online presentation of Pierre-Luc Granjon’s popular puppet animation Le printemps de Mélie (English: Molly in Springtime), a delightful medieval tale in which love always triumphs over deceit.
• Detailed screening schedule and film descriptions:
o The detailed screening schedule can be found on RVF.ca under the Calendar tab.
o View the program and film descriptions on RVF.ca under the NFB tab.
Quote
“The National Film Board of Canada has now been a part of the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie for 10 years. Offering genuine encounters between audiences and the works, the event promotes the dialogue that is key to gaining a better knowledge of Canada’s French-speaking communities in all their diversity and cultural richness. At the NFB, we support this plurality and we rejoice at having the voices of these filmmakers brought to Canadians from coast to coast. I’d like to thank the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and its executive director, Guy Matte, for this important contribution to Canadian culture.” – Claude Joli-Coeur, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB
Stay Connected
Online screening room: NFB.ca
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Media Relations
Lily Robert
Director, Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs
Tel.: 514-283-3838
Cell: 514-296-8261
E-mail: l.robert@nfb.ca
About the NFB
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates groundbreaking interactive works, social-issue documentaries and auteur animation. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 14 Canadian Screen Awards, 8 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
