The Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie has returned for its 33rd rendition, packed to the brim with Canadian and international Francophone films, with 80% of the films providing subtitles so that English-speakers may enjoy them as well. The Moncton/Dieppe festival, in addition to its 30-film lineup, also features a media arts expo, volet Arts médiatiques (VAM) and their popular Super-8 filmmaking competition Acadie Underground.
Heading the lineup is Matt Diop’s Atlantics, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Mary Pickford award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Atlantics follows a group of construction workers in Dakar, Senegal as they depart the country by sea after going without pay for several weeks. One of the workers, Souleiman, must leave behind lover Ada, who is forced into an arranged marriage.
Also of note is the Cannes Best Screenplay Award winner Portrait de la jeune fille en feu, where young painter Marianne must secretly create a wedding portrait of Héloïse. As she observes Héloïse by day so that she may paint at night, the two women forge an ever-more-powerful bond.
Other international pieces include Nathan Rabalais’ poignant Finding Cajun (Director’s Award, Cinema on the Bayou), Bruno Doria’s band portrait On Va Continuer! The Lost Bayou Ramblers Rockumentary, and Lucie Viver’s documentary Sankara n’est pas mort.
Canadian works include Louise Archambaut’s Il pleuvait des oiseaux, where wildfires threaten the home of three elderly hermits and two women discover the tragic experiences captured by paintings of the now-deceased eldest hermit, and Kim St-Pierre’s Réservoir, where two brothers embark on a fishing trip to honour their dead father, unbeknownst of the journey of self-discovery they will encounter. Other works include La Vague award-winner Anne Émond’s modern coming-of-age story Jeune Juliette and veteran filmmaker André Forcier’s comedy-drama Les fleurs oubliées.
The festival also includes several productions created closer to home, and a whole section dedicated to Acadian and New Brunswick films:
Pour mieux t’aimer (English subtitles)
Pour mieux t’aimer tells the tale of a family who struggled to put their lives back in order after the disappearance of their mother. Thirty years later, a Romanian stranger enters their lives with some of the missing pieces to their puzzle, forcing them to each face their own demons.
C’est le rock que j’ai aimé
Following a week-long rock camp, this experimental documentary showcases how the girls in this camp are redefining women’s place in the music industry.
Le grous poisson
Inspired by the culture and unique vocabulary of Acadia, experimental film Le grous poisson explores the parallels and differences between the Canadian and Cajun Acadian vocabularies and linguistic evolutions.
Le loup qui hurle
Created by comedian Eric Butler, this short tells the story of a family that was torn apart by alcoholism and violence.
54 North (English subtitles)
Despite having trouble discerning reality, 54 North‘s protagonist Sam follows objectives in favour of her survival after finding a key on the ground behind a building.
Daphnee (no dialogue)
In this film, fantasy meets reality to tell a tale of the trauma that transpires when a fisherman meets with a mythical creature.
Moncton Man
When a man from Laval, Québec gives a high-class Moncton man a drive, the Moncton Man is in for a long ride filled with songs of the Laval man’s recent New Brunswick antics.
Danse tes mots
Using dance and poetry as its mediums, this short gives viewers a glimpse of the life, history and culture of St-Pierre et Miquelon.
Lobster Festival (no dialogue)
Lobster Festival is an experimental, silent documentary showcasing a big part of Atlantic Canadian Acadian culture: lobsters.
Une dernière feuille
Hitting on a topic that is frighteningly close to home, Une dernière feuille depicts the last living days of a man and his son as humanity suffers the consequences of climate change.
La force du rire
In this 51-minute-long documentary, three Francophone comedians use humour to outline their differences.
Le bonheur de Lucien
Showcasing the lifestyle of Tracadie man Lucien Comeau, this documentary shows us how maintaining the traditional Acadian ways of life, like fishing and harvesting our own food and playing music simply for pleasure, provides us with the purest happiness.
L’acteur (English subtitles)
This avant-garde film depicts the existential crisis of a thespian who is struggling to maintain his grasp on reality.
Le royaume perdu
Following a musician and a historian along the Atlantic coast, this film documents their search for the legendary lost settlement of Norumbega.
Bell-Île en Acadie
Digging into the heart of Acadian culture, this film shows the journey of Acadians from Bell-Île, France, who come to meet their cultural cousins, the Acadians of Atlantic Canada, and partake in their cultural celebrations.
The Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie takes places throughout Moncton from November 14-22, 2019. For more details including FICFA’s complete schedule visit them online at www.ficga.com.