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The NFB at the La Rochelle Festival: films by Jean-François Caissy, Michel La Veaux and Theodore Ushev.

PRESS RELEASE
07/05/2018

May 7, 2018 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) returns to the La Rochelle International Film Festival this year with a strong lineup of films by renowned filmmakers. Two feature documentaries will be included: Labrecque, une caméra pour la mémoire/Labrecque From Film to Memory (ACPAV/NFB), by Michel La Veaux, which will be making its European premiere at the festival; and Premières armes/First Stripes (NFB), by Jean-François Caissy, back in Europe after its world premiere in Berlin and its selection for the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto. There will also be a tribute to animator Theodore Ushev, with screenings of eight of his short films. All three directors will attend the festival, which runs from June 29 to July 8, 2018.

Labrecque, une caméra pour la mémoire by Michel La Veaux (90 min) – European Premiere

  • Filmmaker and cinematographer Michel La Veaux shares his love of moviemaking with one of the pioneers of Quebec cinema: Jean-Claude Labrecque. At once a respectful tribute and a touching portrait, the documentary plays out like a conversation between two friends.
  • This is the filmmaker’s third visit to the festival. He came here in 2016 with his first documentary feature, Hôtel La Louisiane (Les Films Outsiders), and also in 1980, a year in which Quebec was honoured in La Rochelle.
  • Labrecque, une caméra pour la mémoire was produced by Nicole Hubert with executive producer Bernadette Payeur for the Association coopérative de productions audiovisuelles (ACPAV) in co-production with the NFB, with Nathalie Cloutier as producer and Colette Loumède as executive producer.
  • The film will also be presented at two other festivals in France in fall 2018: the Festival de cinéma québécois des grands lacs, in Biscarrosse, from October 17–22; and the Festival international du film d’histoire de Pessac, from November 19–26.

Premières armes by Jean-François Caissy (106 min)

  • As they undergo 12 weeks of intensive training, young civilians are gradually moulded into Canadian Armed Forces soldiers. With little experience in the ways of military life, they quickly learn that, from now on, the group takes precedence over the individual, and country comes before self.
  • Jean-François Caissy returns this year to La Rochelle, where he previously screened his documentary feature La marche à suivre/Guidelines (NFB, 2014), the second in his series of films exploring the stages of life.
  • Premières armes was produced at the NFB by Johanne Bergeron, with executive producer Colette Loumède.

Tribute to Theodore Ushev

Selected short films by this gifted, prolific animator:

Tzaritza (NFB, 2006, 7 min)
Drux Flux (NFB, 2008, 4 min)
Lipsett Diaries (NFB, 2010, 14 min)
Nightingales in December (FNC, 2011, 3 min)
Gloria Victoria (NFB, 2012, 7 min)
Blood Manifesto (NFB, 2015, 2 min)
The Sleepwalker (Unité centrale, 2015, 4 min)
Blind Vaysha (NFB, 2016, 8 min, Oscar-nominated), both presented onscreen and in VR

 

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopsis: First Stripes

Associated Links

La Rochelle International Film Festival
ACPAV

Media Relations

  • Nadine Viau
    NFB Publicist – Montreal
    C.: 514-458-9745
    n.viau@nfb.ca

  • Lily Robert
    Director, Communications and Public Affairs, NFB
    C.: 514-296-8261
    l.robert@nfb.ca

  • About the NFB

    For more than 80 years, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has produced, distributed and preserved those stories, which now form a vast audiovisual collection—an important part of our cultural heritage that represents all Canadians.

    To tell these stories, the NFB works with filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, from across the country. It harnesses their creativity to produce relevant and groundbreaking content for curious, engaged and diverse audiences. The NFB also collaborates with industry experts to foster innovation in every aspect of storytelling, from formats to distribution models.

    Every year, another 50 or so powerful new animated and documentary films are added to the NFB’s extensive collection of more than 14,000 titles, half of which are available to watch for free on nfb.ca.

    Through its mandate, its stature and its productions, the NFB contributes to Canada’s cultural identity and is helping to build the Canada of tomorrow.