Description

An experimental sound, video and performance creation by Julie Faubert that unfolds in the very specific context of the Cinéma Moderne screening room in Montreal.

Sound images, live light framing, projected video sequences: the nature of the image is constantly questioned. Through this play of almost synesthetic references, the darkened room itself is represented, activated, doubled, shifted, disturbed, even put into abyss. The Dolby Atmos cinematic sound diffusion system is exploited in an unusual way, to the extreme limit of its spatializing potential. Plunged into darkness, the audience experiences the many apparitions that reveal the performers’ poetic use of the space.

This work is the fruit of several years’ creative work in situ at the Cinéma Moderne. With the magnificent participation of Alice Blanchet-D., Jane, Jonathan Cantin-Demers, Maxence Croteau, Charles Hurtubise and Antoine Paradis.

Synopsis
Like a spiral reveals the anonymous testimonies of five women under the yoke of the Kafala system in Lebanon. Through a rich soundscape of voice-over, music and urban buzz, Lamia Chraibi impeccably captures Beirut in a tumultuous state. Grainy images, the effects of shadow and light and double exposures evoke the impossible dilemma of migrant domestic workers who have sometimes had to abandon their children for the promise of work, and who, in this powerful piece, tell of their toxic relationship with this country. Comme une spirale encourages us to reflect on notions of identity, home and justice, and the meanings they can be given by the harsh stories of these largely voiceless and disenfranchised women.

Synopsis
In Rio de Janeiro, Richard aspires to shine in the world’s biggest big tops. The day the 20-year-old artist is kicked out by his adoptive mother, his life is turned upside down. The contours of his dream become blurred, and a long search for his bearings begins. He finds refuge in a vibrant community of drag queens, and a new horizon opens up as he begins his transition to Ashila. In the midst of doubts, the discovery of candomblé spirits gives him hope, while his relationship with his sister remains an unshakeable pillar. Through an intimate approach drawing on direct cinema, Circo immerses us in the lives of Brazilian favela dwellers who are trying to reclaim their destiny.

Synopsis

In a mysterious forest, far from the borders of the China they left behind, painter Meng Huang and writer Ma Jian discuss exile, political struggle and artistic creation as a response to oppression and lies. Ma Jian lives in London. He is a dissident and a great writer, translated into many languages. He has not been able to return to China since 2011, when all his books were banned. Meng Huang lives in Berlin where he is a well-known painter, in exile by choice.

Synopsis
With an immersive soundscape that immerses us in the reality and perceptions of resilient, inspiring people, this documentary questions both our own blindness to the violence and suffering of our times – despite an overabundance of images – and the urgency of listening to these stories.