As part of the Rendez-vous de la francophonie 2024 programming, the Ottawa Public Library will have multiple bilingual screenings throughout March throughout their 33 branches.

For more info, contact the organiser: biblioottawalibrary.ca

Program 1: Head in the Stars (14+) 

The documentary series Étoile du Nord (North Star) follows the inspiring journey of Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, resident astronomer at the renowned Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. As head of the SIGNALS project, she leads a team of some 60 scientists. Together, they study the formation of stars to better understand their influence on the universe.  

Directed by Patrick Bossé, the series portrays the extraordinary daily life of this Quebec-born scientist with Innu roots. From the summit of the volcano Mauna Kea, Laurie uses cutting-edge instruments to make the sky reveal its secrets. The five short episodes, which blend Rousseau-Nepton’s personal story with scientific explanations, reveal a determined young woman who shines in a traditionally male-dominated profession. An outstanding science popularizer, Laurie conveys her passion for celestial objects and the importance of knowing where we came from to understand where we’re going.  

Étoile du Nord (North Star) | Patrick Bossé | 2023 | 5 × 15 min | voiceover in English 

—

Program 2: Building Community (16+)  

In 2015 and 2016, Montreal’s Collège de Maisonneuve found itself at the centre of media attention on several occasions, thanks to multiple attempts by young people to leave for jihad in Syria and Iraq, as well as a number of incidents and fights prematurely attributed to the radicalization of certain students. In response, the CEGEP decided to make the notion of living together in harmony a special pedagogical project. It hired “hall workers” and encouraged intercultural meetings, discussion forums, intergenerational debates and other projects, hoping that this knowledge sharing about the different cultures represented at the school would take place in a spirit of goodwill. The series is based on the points of view of seven students recorded in 2018 and in the fall of 2021. We see them at a turning point in the construction of their identity, and we discover their vision of the world, their values and their frustrations with adulthood, the job market and social pressure.  

Maisonneuve | Jean-Martin Gagnon | 2023 | 6 × 30 min 

—

Program 3: Tomorrow Is Yet to Be Discovered (15+) 

In Travailler autrement (Work Different), Julien Capraro examines the new world of work, which has been turned on its head by the pandemic. The concept of remote work raises questions not only about productivity and work-life balance, but also about our living spaces, urban planning and the need to consider the environment in every aspect of life. A thorough look at a complex subject that’s spurring employees of all ages to question their future at work. 

Travailler autrement (Work Different) | Julien Capraro | 2023 | 50 min 

 —

Program 4: The Quest for Self (12+, 52 min)

This compilation takes a humorous and imaginative look at the turmoil of discovering one’s identity and independence. In L’impossible été de Jules, Marie-Julie Dallaire portrays the tensions between a mother and her teenage son during the pandemic. With Alchimie moderne, Bren López Zepeda offers a breathless and vibrant quest for self. Samuel Cantin’s Le syndrome de la tortue reflects on the sometimes troubling physical transformations of adolescence. Ici par ici paints a picture of the childhood of Diane Obomsawin, who grew up between Quebec and France. In Janice Nadeau’s HARVEY, a young boy has to learn how to deal with grief. In Le fabuleux calendrier, Meky Ottawa takes an artist’s look at how people come up with interesting and creative ways to avoid social functions in favour of their own private space. And in La nuit du Nalujuk, by Jennie Williams, we encounter a community and its traditions.  

L’impossible été de Jules (Jules’ Impossible Summer) | Marie-Julie Dallaire | 2020 | 14 min

Alchimie moderne (Modern Alchemy)| Bren López Zepeda | 2022 | 2 min

Le syndrome de la tortue (The Turtle Syndrome)| Samuel Cantin | 2021 | 4 min 

Ici par ici (Here and There)| Diane Obomsawin | 2006 | 9 min

HARVEY | Janice Nadeau | 2023 | 9 min

Le fabuleux calendrier (The Fake Calendar)| Meky Ottawa | 2019 | 1 min 

La nuit du Nalujuk (Nalujuk Night)| Jennie Williams | 2021 | 13 min  

 —

Program 5: Now We’ve Seen It All (8+, 36 min)

Make way for whimsy and imagination! In the musical animated short La fille au beret rouge, Janet Perlman takes us on an extremely colourful journey through the Montreal metro. Louis Bodart’s 100 miles recounts a road trip that goes hilariously off the rails. Bouche décousue, by Andrea Dorfman, reminds us that while honesty is generally the best policy, too much of a good thing can be problematic. In La fille qui détestait les livres, Jo Meuris tells the story of a dislike that turns into a passion. Michèle Lemieux’s Nuit d’orage poses questions typically asked by children and offers some quirky answers. And Qalupalik, by Ame Papatsie, relates the legend of a sea monster that punishes disobedient children. 

La fille au béret rouge (The Girl with the Red Beret)| Janet Perlman | 2023 | 6 min 

100 miles | Louis Bodart | 2022| 1 min

Bouche décousue (Big Mouth)| Andrea Dorfman | 2012 | 8 min

La fille qui détestait les livres (The Girl Who Hated Books) | Jo Meuris | 2006 | 7 min

Nuit d’orage (Stormy Night) | Michèle Lemieux | 2003 | 9 min

Nunavut Animation Lab: Qalupalik | Ame Papatsie | 2010 | 5 min