À St-Henri, le 26 août

watch the full documentary on You Tube VOD here

Glide along the boulevards of St-Henri with the charming perpetual motion machines that are this district’s diverse denizens, from the taciturn milkman to resourceful Doris the gleaner to a group of Mohawk hipsters.

This kaleidoscopic romp through a semi-industrial neighborhood pays homage to Hubert Aquin’s 1962 film of the same name by seamlessly drawing together the work of sixteen cinematographers to capture everyday life in a vibrant working-class community on a single summer day. A thoughtful spatial metaphor in which people—the city’s vital force—flow through St-Henri’s streets, steam tunnels, train tracks, and magnificent central canal like blood throbbing through veins. In St-Henri, people are definitely on the move, not to escape from home, but rather, to revel in it. With an original score by Polaris Prize-winning musician Patrick Watson, this dawn-‘til-dusk collage provides a rare opportunity to see a community transform in front of one’s eyes.

Inspired by the 1962 ONF film “À St-Henri le 5 septembre”, this unique collaborative film brings together some of the brightest talents in the contemporary Montreal documentary community to capture this story.

CREDITS