Curated by La Cinémathèque québécoise animation film conservationist Marco de Blois, this selection of shorts gathers standout films from the most recent Les sommets du cinéma d’animation, Québec’s leading animation festival. Representing the wealth of Quebec and Canada’s works, these movies feature a diversity of techniques and perspectives and tap into fiction, experimental cinema, and the documentary form.
As Les sommets du cinéma d’animation is produced by La Cinémathèque québécoise, an organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of Quebec’s motion pictures, this program includes two important films that were recently restored thanks to the Plan cultural numérique du Québec, a project focused on digitizing the region’s audiovisual heritage. Animation First is pleased to present director Thomas Corriveau’s 1988 film “Kidnapped” and director Chris Hinton’s 1988 film “A Nice Day in the Country” as they were originally intended to be seen.
7 Shorts, 73 min
Kidnapped (Kidnappé)
Dir. Thomas Corriveau, 1988, Canada, Color, DCP, 8 min 15
In French with English subtitles
Louis Vincent claims to have been kidnapped and an investigator, to whom he relays the adventure, tries to shed light on this story. Beyond the investigation, the film becomes an open reflection on the power of the imagination.
A Nice Day in the Country (Une belle journée à la campagne)
Dir. Chris Hinton, 1988, Canada, Color, DCP, 7 min
In English
An amorous couple prepares for a picnic in the country. But the man’s rage at a stuck doorknob leads to tragedy for both of them.
Return to Hairy Hill (Retour à Hairy Hill)
Dir. Daniel Gies, 2023, Canada, Color, DCP, 17 min
Without dialogue or commentary
Ethel’s childhood ends abruptly when her mother disappears, leaving her alone to care for her younger siblings. Faced with a merciless winter, Ethel must decide to resign to fate or to try her luck in the world.
Madeleine
Dir. Raquel Sancinetti, 2023, Canada, Color, DCP, 15 min
In French with English subtitles
US Premiere
At Raquel’s weekly visit to see her friend Madeline, living at a retirement home, Raquel convinces her to go on a road trip. The result is a journey that brings the certainty that there’s always something to learn along the way.
No Title (Pas de titre)
Dir. Alexandra Myotte, 2021, Canada, Color, DCP, 8 min 30
In French with English subtitles
“No Title” explores the ambiguous relationship that exists between the artist, their work and their audience. A small-town journalist recollects his meeting with Louisiane Gervais, a blind sculptor and iconoclast.
Hibiscus Season (La saison des hibiscus)
Dir. Éléonore Goldberg, 2020, Canada, Color, DCP, 10 min
In French with English subtitles
Rachel, a young girl from France living in Zaire with her family in the early 1990s, is taking refuge with her mother in the French embassy in Kinshasa during the military riots.
Two One Two
Dir. Shira Avni, 2023, Canada, Color, DCP, 4 min
In English
A love letter to motherhood and parenting on the spectrum, this deeply personal documentary journey explores motherhood, fragmentation, neurodiversity, trauma, and healing.