STONE BY STONE: Special Mention Winner

 

39e Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique

STONE BY STONE

Special Mention - Human Rights Category

April 30, 2023

The documentary film Stone by Stone was awarded the Special Human Rights Mention Prize at the festival's closing ceremony, held at the Cinémathèque québécoise in Montreal on April 30, 2023. Although the Award document for this exceptional film (see the photo at the top of this article) mentions only one name, it was in fact produced by three Co-Directors: Elisabeth Gimber, Robert Newton and Mark Morgenston. The film is a result of a truly equal team effort. 

The film highlights two middle-class families, one in Burkina Faso, the other in North America, who envisioned and then embarked on a seemingly impossible project to build an orphanage and a school in Africa without any government support, corporate sponsorship, or grants. And they succeeded, relying solely on their own efforts, the help of their extended families, their fiends, and communities. You can read more about this extraordinary story and the remarkable film here.

The Makofskys, the North American family featured in the documentary, were present at the second screening of the film on April 29, 2023. Their presence, when announced, was greeted by a vigorous and prolonged clapping. An equally long clapping followed when the film ended.

2 Co-Directors Robert Newton and Elisabeth Gimber presenting the film to the audience.

The Makofskys on the left next to the production team: 3 Co-Directors Elisabeth Gimber, Robert Newton & Mark Morgenstone.

Q&A with the 3-member film production crew in the middle and Howard Makofsky on the right.

After the screening, the Makofskys and the film’s production crew were approached by the audience with many comments and complements, and with a number of questions about the film's true story and the specifics of the film production. A formal Q&A session followed in the area set for it outside the projection theatre. The types of questions asked revealed people's keen interest in the film's subject matter and the issues it raised.

The Makofskys interacting with the audience:

Click on images to enlarge them.

For this article's dedicated internet address, click on the title above the very first photo.

Vues d'Afrique 2023: Stone by Stone

 

39e Festival international de cinéma Vues d’Afrique

STONE BY STONE

Montreal’s Premiere

Documentary

Stone by Stone is an incredible story of two visionary families, one in Africa, the other in North America. Without any government or business support or grants, they were able to build, stone by stone, an orphanage and an elementary school in Kaya, Burkina Faso, West Africa. Presently, they are opening a secondary school. Even more amazingly, not stopping at their incredible achievements, they have further plans to build a university, for which they have already acquired the land. All of these institution have been build with private donations. The two families do not posses any substantial personal funds or connections to any wealth creating circles. In fact, they are just regular middle class people whose only wealth is their sincere desire to help the orphaned children in Africa, enabling them to get a proper education, and providing them a possibility of a higher education and professional life so they can give back to their community and country.

What makes this true story so compelling is that it tells how those two families, with the support of their communities and friends, armed with perseverance and determination, without meeting in person for years, and without any kind of additional help, took a leap of faith together and made the decision to start building the orphanage - Paradise Orphanage and Elementary School - to house 120 children.

Though separated by the Atlantic ocean, the two families’ shared journey transcends borders and religions. They had envisioned and then successfully implemented, brought into reality, their dream project that enriched and likely saved lives of many Burkina Faso orphaned children. They are the Sawadogo family in Burkina Faso, West Africa and the Makofskys family in North America.

Mr. Sawadogo of Burkina Faso, Africa

The Makofskys of North America being interviewed for the film

This is an inspiring film that demonstrates that all is possible, that even the toughest projects could be realized if one has a vision, a believe, and perseverance. If there were more people like those portrayed in the documentary, many world’s problems could start to be solved from the grassroots level up, rather than relying totally on the governments' support and initiatives.

This is the website of the Kaya's Kids none profit organization.

Film's PRODUCTION TEAM:

Elisabeth-Ann Gimber, Mark Morgenstone, Robert E. Newton

Clique on images to enlarge them.

Film Information:

COUNTRY: CANADA / YEAR: 2022 / DURATION: 78 MIN / LanguagE: FrencH / Subtitles: English

Film Projection Details

Friday, April 21, 17:45 – Salle Fernand Seguin

Saturday, April 29, 12:00 – Salle Principale

For more information, visit Vue d’Afrique Film Festival website.

For this article's dedicated internet address, click on the title above the very first photo.

Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma 2023

Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma

41st Edition 

22 February - 4 March 2023

The Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma (RVQC) announced yesterday its program for 2023. This 41st edition has almost 300 films, including 76 premieres, and more than 30 assortments of free events. This edition will be, as always, the essential meeting of Quebec cinema.

Emmanuel Schwartz et Christine Beaulieu will be the RVQC spoke people this year.

RVQC screenings and activities will take place at the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts, Cinéma Impérial, Cinémathèque québécoise, Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin, and Maison du développement durable. La Buvette Crave, located in the heart of the Cinémathèque québécoise, will once again welcome the public, artists and cinema professionals for memorable encounters. This signature RVQC space will host happy hours and evenings during which round tables, discussions, readings and festival parties will be held.

OPENING EVENING AND REGIONAL TOUR

LE PLONGEUR, a new feature film by Francis Leclerc adapted from the eponymous novel by Stéphane Larue, will have its world premiere at the Tapis bleu opening night presented by Bell Media on February 22. This opening ceremony will take place at the Théâtre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts. The film stars Henri Picard, Charles-Aubey Houde, Maxime De Cotret, Joan Hart, Fayolle Jean Jr, Robin L'Houmeau, Marie-Ève Beauregard and Jade Charbonneau.

BLUE CARPET EVENINGS

After the opening night, the Tapis bleu evenings presented by Bell Media will continue at the cinema with FRONTIÈRES by Guy Édoin with Pascale Bussière, Micheline Lanctôt, Christine Beaulieu and Mégane Proulx, TRÉPUSCULE POUR UN TUEUR by Raymond St-Jean featuring starring Éric Bruneau, Benoît Gouin, Simon Landry-Desy, Sylvain Marcel and Rose-Marie Perreault and JOUR DE MERDE by Kevin T. Landry with Valérie Blais and Réal Bossé. The documentary JACQUES by Lysandre Leduc-Boudreau will also be premiered. For the first time, there will be a Blue Carpet 100% short films. On the programme: À HARTON by John Blouin, CHASING BIRDS by Una Lorenzen, EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT by Farhad Pakdel, PACIFIC BELL by Sandrine Béchade, UNE NUIT DE CHIEN by Max Woodward and VIOLET GRAVE WILLINGLY by Claire Sanford. It is the comedy FARADOR by Edouard Tremblay that will crown the RVQC on March 4 during the closing night. First of all a cult short film, this feature film version brings together actors Eric K. Boulianne, Catherine Brunet, Benoit Drouin-Germain and Lucien Ratio.

KATAK, LE BRAVE BÉLUGA, an animated film by Christine Dallaire-Dupont and Nicola Lemay, will be screened in preview during a special carpet reserved for children. Presented in collaboration with Lab Québec Cinéma and Maison 4:3, this screening is by invitation only.

FEATURE FILMS PRESENTED BY HYDRO-QUÉBEC

A total of 50 fiction feature films will be screened during the festival. As usual, a retrospective of the last year of our national cinematography is on the program: it's the perfect opportunity for the public to see or re-watch the most recent Quebec films. It will be possible to watch, among others, VIKING directed by Stéphane Lafleur and co-scripted by Éric K. Boulianne and Stéphane Lafleur, BABYSITTER directed by Monia Chokri and scripted by Catherine Léger, CONFESSIONS directed by Luc Picard and scripted by Sylvain Guy, FALCON LAKE by Charlotte Le Bon, ARSENAULT ET FILS by Rafaël Ouellet, NIAGARA by Guillaume Lambert, DECEMBER 23 directed by Miryam Bouchard and scripted by India Desjardins and NORBOURG directed by Maxime Giroux and scripted by Simon Lavoie.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE DOCUMENTARY PRESENTED BY RADIO-CANADA

The documentary program includes 32 feature films, including 5 remarkable premieres: LES CÈDRES DU LIBAN by Frédéric Nassif, ÉMILIENNE OU LE TIME QUI PASS by Coralie Lemieux-Sabourin, SECOND CHANCES by Farzin Farzaneh, L'ORDRE SECRET by Phil Comeau and CROQUE-DEATH: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! by George Hannan. At the same time, several outstanding works from the past year will be presented, including GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE by Jacquelyn Mills, CETTE MAISON by Miryam Charles, EN ATTENDANT RAÏF by Luc Côté and Patricio Henríquez, JE RÉ SAUE SALOPE: LA MISOGYNIE AU TIME DU DIGÉRIQUE by Léa Clermont-Dion and Guylaine Maroist, JOUVENCELLES by Fanie Pelletier, L'ÎLE DE SUKWAN by Perihan Incegöz and Jonathan Tremblay and HISTORY JUDGERA by German Gutierrez.

For more information and programming, consult the RVQC 2023 website.

A number of posters were also unveiled yesterday.

Click on images to enlarge them.

RENDEZ-VOUS QUÉBEC CINÉMA 2018

 

RENDEZ-VOUS QUÉBEC CINÉMA
36th Edition

February 21 - March 3, 2018

The Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma announced yesterday its program for 2018. This 36th edition has more than 300 films, including 90 premieres, as well as more than 30 free events. 

The festival’s screenings and activities will take place at the Cinémathèque québécoise, Cinéplex Odeon Quartier Latin, the Auditorium de la Grande Bibliothèque (BAnQ), the Salon orange at Centre Pierre-Péladeau and Cinéma Impérial.

The Bistro SAQ, located in Norman McLaren Hall at the Cinémathèque 
québécoise, returns as the festival’s hotspot for happy hours, fun evenings and great parties late into the  night.

Espace Rendez-vous, now located in the heart of the Cinémathèque québécoise, will be home to the festival’s interactive section and an exclusive exhibition.

LES SOIRÉES TAPIS BLEU

Presented by Bell, the festival’s SOIRÉES TAPIS BLEU are a series of gala premieres, open to all, with the filmmakers present and available to meet the public.

The world premiere of Bernard Émond’s Pour vivre ici opens the festival on February 21. The film stars Élise Guilbault, Sophie Desmarais, Amena Ahmad, Danny Gilmore and Marie Bernier. The gala opening night, co-presented by MELS, will be held at Cinéma Impérial.

The Soirées Tapis bleu include two more world premieres:

- Isla Blanca, directed by Jeanne Leblanc
- Ce silence qui qui tue, a documentary by Kim O’Bomsawin
- Grand Cru by David Eng.
- Chien de garde, directed by Sophie Dupuis, will close the 36th Rendez-vous on March 3 at Cinéma Impérial, part of the closing festivities co-presented by Cinéplex. The film stars Jean-Simon Leduc, Théodore Pellerin, Maude Guérin, Claude Laberge, Paul Ahmarani and well-known singer Marjo.

FICTIONAL FEATURES

This year, the Rendez-vous will present a total of 46 FICTIONAL FEATURES, presented by Hydro-Québec. More than ever, the year’s new films run the full gamut of genres, appealing to moviegoers of every stripe.

4 SPECIAL SCREENINGS presented by La Presse + will include a restored print of Au clair de la lune, directed by André Forcier, in celebration of the film’s 35th anniversary. Blade Runner 2049, by Denis Villeneuve, and Chuck by Philippe Falardeau will also be screened. 

As part of Black History Month, the Momentum collective will present a special program exploring an afro-centric vision of Quebec cinema.

With the aim of reaching every audience and in response to the enthusiasm for the screenings in this new section, the RVQC presents screenings for new immigrants, using film as a bridge to foster acculturation and
integration.

Another much appreciated annual activity is a special screening hosted by La Maison du Père; this year’s film is De père en flic 2, to be screened with director Émile Gaudreault as well as actors Patrice Robitaille and Mathieu Quesnel present; he will meet some of the institution’s clients.

DOCUMENTARIES 

The 36th Rendez-vous includes 25 DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES – short, medium and feature length – presented by Télé-Québec.

Women directors are particularly prominent this year, with several films by women having world premieres:

- 1999 by Samara Grace Chadwick, Ce silence qui tue by Kim O’Bomsawin,
- Exil au Far West by Sophie Fortier
- La Maison des Syriens by Nadine Beaudet and Christian Mathieu Fournier.
- Louis! Louis! Louis! by Philippe Frenette-Roy will also have its world premiere.

Quebec and Canadian premieres include

- A Great Day in Paris by the late Michka Saäl (Canadian premiere)
- Comme un caillou dans la botte by Hélène Choquette (Quebec premiere)
- Modifié by Aube Giroux (Quebec premiere)
- Noshommes dans l’Ouest by Renée Blanchar (Quebec premiere).

The RVQC will also provide excellent opportunities to catch big-screen showings of documentaries that made their mark in 2017, including Esprit de cantine by Nicolas Paquet, Destierros by Hubert Caron-Guay, Combat
au bout de la nuit by Sylvain l’Espérance, and tLabrecque: une caméra pour la mémoire by Michel La Veaux.

SHORTS

With 215 films, including 73 premieres, 54 films in competition and 24 programs in every genre presented by Unis TV, the RVQC is the world’s biggest showcase of Quebec’s short films.

THE 2018 RVQC AWARDS

A total of 11 awards will be presented on February 28, for films in official competition at the Rendez-vous, including the prestigious Prix
Gilles-Carle for Best first or second fictional feature, presented by Bell, and the Prix Pierre et YolandePerrault for Best first or second documentary feature, presented by Hydro-Québec. The jury for 2018 is made up of 15 professionals from the cultural industry in Quebec and francophone communities across Canada, including 11 women active in the film industry.

VIRTUAL REALITY AND INTERACTIVE WORKS

The program features the latest practices and presents 7 works
available for free from February 22 to March 3 in the Espace Rendez-vous. 

FREE EXHIBITION

While visiting the Espace Rendez-vous, the public will see the exclusive storyboard exhibition Les Affamés: décomposition en images, and learn all about the stunning new film by Robin Aubert. The storyboards are by illustrator Jean-Philippe Marcotte, an artist who has also worked with Denis Arcand and Xavier Dolan.

THE RENDEZ-VOUS IN YOUR HOME

From February 21 to March 3, Les Rendez-vous chez vous will allow audiences everywhere in Quebec to enjoya selection of films from this year’s festival on their computer or TV. Several fictional features will be available on-demand through Bell Fibe TV, including, among others, Les Affamés, Et au pire, on se mariera, Pieds nus dans l’aube, Le problème d’infiltration and Les rois mongols. A fine selection of shorts will also be available for free on ICI TOU.TV. Movie lovers can also catch several RVQC events, live or delayed, through Québec Cinéma’s Facebook page. It’s a chance to experience the festival anywhere, any time on your platform of choice!

HAPPY HOURS – THE PLACE TO MEET OUR FILMMAKERS

As it does every year, the festival will start each evening on a high note with a 5 p.m. rendezvous at the Bistro SAQ in the Cinémathèque québécoise, for a series of get-togethers, discussions and chats with artists and industry professionals.

PRIX COLLÉGIAL DU CINÉMA QUÉBÉCOIS (PCCQ) and Cegep
students from across Quebec.

The event, emceed by Marie-Louise Arsenault, will be live-streamed on Québec Cinéma’s Facebook page so that students from all 54 participating cegeps can join in the discussion wherever they are. 

TICKETS 

Tickets for the 36th annual Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma are now on sale, without service charges, at quebeccinema.ca!

Cinephiles can also purchase tickets from lavitrine.com.

Festival goers can view the 2018 program online and in hard copy at the Cinémathèque québécoise. It is possible to create a custom schedule on the RVQC website by creating an account or by signing in with Facebook.

For more information and programming, visit the RVQC festival website.

RIDM 2017: Opening Film

Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (RIDM)

20^th Edition
November 9 - 19, 2017

Opening Film

24 Davids
WORLD PREMIERE

CANADA-QUEBEC / 2017 / 133 min. / French, English, Spanish, Twi / S.T. English and French

This film is an essay by Céline Baril filmed on three continents. It will have its world premiere on Thursday, November 9, during the Opening night of the RIDM festival, in the Alumni Auditorium (H-110) at Concordia University (by invitation only). The filmmaker will be in attendance, following a public screening during the festival’s first weekend.

For more than two decades, Céline Baril has been one of the original voices in Quebec’s film industry. The cinematic essay is her favoured medium. She has travelled the world and met members of many different cultures in her quest to create a humane, critical portrait of the world today.

24 Davids is a road movie that travels to three continents for 24 inspiring encounters. All 24 men the audience meet are very different from one another except that they all have the same name David. They also all reflect on major issues facing the world, and express their desire to work for a change. 

All Davids in the film are young men who are either concerned how the universe is made or are struggling to make this world better. There is a constant juxtaposition between the theoretical discussion of cosmology issues in a prestigious academic environment as opposed to the realities in less affluent and the third world countries, their real day-to-day struggles, the awareness that the world has to be made a better place for people and the solutions they offer. The film renders a strange perspective of a major disconnect between those two totally different worlds, the theoretical academic and the real one. 

24 Davids is produced by Colette Loumède at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Its cinema release is slated for February 2, 2018.

FILM TRAILER on Vimeo
https://vimeo.com/224206494

For more information, visit the Montreal International Documentary Film Festival (RIDM) website.

FNC 2017: Après coup

APRÈS COUP
FOCUS QUEBEC / CANADA

IN COMPETITION
WORLD PREMIER

CANADA | 94 MINUTES | 2017 | French with English Subtitles

The film is about a family in distress after a tragic accident that happened to their daughter's friend. Especially affected is the father who assumes a full personal responsibility for what had happened, though he did not cause the accident. In his mind, all is about the timing and him asking the girl to go home after the afternoon spent with his daughter playing. He becomes obsessed with his personal guilt to the extent he is not able to carry on with his regular daily responsibilities. This affects his professional and family life and his relationship with his wife and daughter. His wife forces him to see a psychiatrist. Yet the medication he is prescribed and that is supposed to help him has no effect on him and  after a while he refuses to take it. Threatened with by his wife that he will have to move out if he does not do anything about his condition that is destructive to her and their daughter, he finally unwillingly and reluctantly goes to see a psychologist.

This film introduces to the audience two techniques used by some psychologists to help their clients to overcome the post traumatic stress and guilt. This information might prove useful for some viewers as it reveals methods that could alleviate either their personal or their loved ones issues.

- The first technique is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy. This method has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma and many other mental and emotional problems.

- The second technique is IADC (Induced After-Death Communication) Therapy which helps to heal deep sadness and guild associated with the death of a family member, a friend, or a loved one.

The film could most likely be used by the qualified psychologists as an additional tool to help introduce their clients to these techniques. It is sensitively enacted by the cast and illustrates how a family's harmony could be re-established after conflicts, shocks or traumas that a family member or members had endured.

FNC OFFICIAL TRAILER

"When his daughter’s best friend is killed in an accident, a father undergoes psychotherapy to cope with the emotional fallout. Family man Marc grapples with the post-traumatic stress that ensues when he witnesses his daughter’s best friend being fatally struck by a car just after leaving his house. Haunted by the images, torturing himself with blame, he agrees to undergo psychotherapy — a treatment that proves harrowing. Backed as always by his favourite lead (Laurent Lucas), Mitrani dissects the insidiousness of guilt as well as the unsuspected possibilities of survival."

PRODUCTION TEAM

DIRECTOR: Noël Mitrani

SCREENWRITER: Noël Mitrani

^{ACTORS: Laurent Lucas, Laurence Dauphinais, Mohsen El Gharbi, Pascale Bussières, Natacha Mitrani}

PRODUCER: Gapian Films

FILM TRAILER

SCREENING

THURSDAY OCTOBER 12, 2017

Program #241, 13:00, Cineplex Odeon Quartier SALLE 17

For more informations about the FNC, the program, film scheduling and various venues visit the FNC festival's website.

FNC 2017: Indian Horse

INDIAN HORSE

FOCUS   QUEBEC / CANADA

CANADA | 100 MINUTES | 2017

The film is based on the novel by a Canadian author and journalist Richard Wagamese who was an Ojibwe from the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in northwestern Ontario.

The film deals with the dark past of the Canadian history for which in 2008 the Prime Minister of Canada Stephan Harper had apologized to the former students of the Indian residential school system. They were boarding schools for the Indigenous peoples' children, founded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. Its purpose was to remove children from the influence of their own culture to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian way of life. Over its more than hundred years of existence, about 150,000 (roughly 30%) of Indigenous children were placed in residential schools, and 6,000 of them (it is speculated more than that) have died while there.

The film portrays a story of an Ojibwee boy Saul Indian Horse who was removed from his community and his cultural roots at the age of eight and brought to a Residential school. It portrays the cold, strict and inhuman environment in those schools, and the hardships the native children had to endure. The only way Saul could bear his fate was to get involved with hockey. He had an uncanny skill to feel the spirit of the game inside himself, to become one with that spirit, to master the game to the highest level of proficiency with all its intricacies, strategies, moves and passes. It was hockey that helped him to endure the unbearable environment of the residential school that also brought him out of it earlier than required. He was destined for success, yet overwhelmed by the racist attitude he encountered even from his team mates, he began the painful journey to his own native roots and healing...  

FNC  FILM SYNOPSES

"Inheritance, family bonds and identity are at the heart of this coming-of-age story based on the novel by Richard Wagamese. Spanning several decades, the film follows the difficult journey of Saul Indian Horse, a young Ojibwa boy who grew up in 1960s Ontario. Scarred by the spirit-destroying effects of residential school, he battles racism while developing his outstanding talent for hockey. Indian Horse takes an ambitious approach, peeling back the layers of “official” Canadian history as it paints a moving portrait of resilience."

Director: Stephen S. Camplianel

Writer: Dennis Foon

Starring: Sladen Peltier, Forrest Goodluck, Ajuawak Kapashesit 

SCREENING

 

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2017

Program #214, 19:00, Cineplex Odeon Quartier SALLE 17

FRIDAY OCTOBER 13, 2017

Program #273, 17:00, Cineplex Odeon Quartier SALLE 17

The film's director Stephen S. Camplianel will be present at both screenings to answer the audience's questions.

For more informations about the FNC, the program, film scheduling and various venues visit the FNC festival's website.