LE CÈDRE PENCHÉ

(Raphaël Ouellet, Canada, 2007, 78 min, v.o.f. subtitled) avec Viviane Audet, Marie Neige Chatelain).

Réalisateur de plusieurs courts métrages (Dans l’est, Face B), du Groulx Luxe pour la télévision, du dvd Our Lady Peace Live, Rafaël Ouellet a attaqué l’été dernier le tournage de ce premier long métrage par des moyens totalement indépendants. Ouellet signe ainsi le scénario, la direction photo et le montage du Cèdre penché, ce film porté par la musique et les talents exceptionnels des comédiennes-chanteuses Viviane Audet (Grande Ourse) et Marie Neige Chatelain. Tout en musique, le film explore les différentes facettes de la chanson et sa création, à travers la rencontre de ces deux femmes.

Le film raconte les jours de Candide et Brigitte, deux sœurs récemment confrontées à la mort de leur mère, figure connue de la musique country. Chanteuses aussi, elles devront se rapprocher et apprivoiser la période de deuil. Contemplatif, proche du geste créateur, des corps et des états d’âme, Le cèdre penché est un premier film au style fort et personnel. Rafaël Ouellet a collaboré avec Denis Côté sur son film Les États nordiques (2005), ainsi que sur son film Nos vies privées. Le Cèdre penché est son premier long métrage.

Tourné dans le Bas-du-fleuve, Le cèdre penché est une présentation de estfilmindustri, en collaboration avec nihilproductions et urbansounds, et le soutien exceptionnel des Studios Beebop. Finalement, la bande musicale comprend les chansons de Patrick Groulx, Miyagi, Nicole Caron et Gilles-Vincent Martel ainsi que des deux actrices principales.

RAPHAËL OUELLET

Intimate and unvarnished, Le Cèdre penché is exceptional for the subtlety and freshness with which it tells the story of two estranged sisters in the aftermath of their mother’s death. The aesthetic confidence of first-time feature director Rafaël Ouellet’s filmmaking – particularly his evocative use of sound and music – make Le Cèdre penché a remarkable debut.

Two sisters are singing at their mother’s funeral. Brigitte (Marie Neige Chatelain) has been absent for years and Candide (Viviane Audet) simmers with lingering anger toward her. Later, isolated at their mother’s rural home, the alienated sisters face their grief in divisive ways. As the siblings are both singer-songwriters, competition between them is inherent. Their music reflects their differences: Brigitte’s howls with rage while Candide’s is lyrical and acoustic. Yet their songs also express the history of their relationship. Candide’s lyrics reveal new and surprising insight into her sister and, when Brigitte finds a tape of their mother’s old songs, it leads to an unexpected collaboration. “It’s weird we never gave a crap about Mum’s music,” one says. “It’s not that bad.”

Avoiding conspicuous narrative turns, the sisters’ story advances on an entirely sub-textual level. The passage of time and the accumulation of small gestures expose shifts in character that are small yet profound. In the film’s rich aural landscape, the sisters’ interior worlds are revealed both by the music they make and by what they hear – or fail to hear. The film’s visuals also speak with great eloquence: the palette is a saturated Kodachrome, evoking childhood photographs and creating a feeling of nostalgia as the sisters revisit their past.

Ouellet’s approach to storytelling is distinctive and satisfying. As a climactic scene plays out, we are denied sound for a rare moment; our reward is the intensity with which we are made aware of the characters’ responses to that which we cannot hear. Le Cèdre penché is original, assured filmmaking signalling the arrival of a unique voice in Canadian film.

Rafaël Ouellet was born in Matagami, Quebec, and studied at CÉGEP de Jonquière. He has directed numerous concert films, music videos and television projects, including episodes of the series Le Groulx Luxe and Canadian Case Files. He edited Denis Côté’s film Les États nordiques (05), which screened at the 2005 Festival, and shot Côté’s Nos vies privées (07), playing in this year’s Festival. Le Cèdre penché (07) is his first feature.