A coproduction of the National Film Board of Canada, Coop Vidéo de Montréal, Akka Films, Temps Noir, in collaboration with TV5 MONDE 

2015. Eleven students at Montreal’s Collège de Maisonneuve are arrested as they prepare to leave for Syria, where they plan to become Islamic State fighters. The student body—more than 50 percent of which is composed of Muslims of Arab descent—is deeply shocked. Over six episodes, Maisonneuve looks at the repercussions of this event and the questions it continues to raise, introducing us to five young adults who are trying to find their way in an environment where mistrust of the “other” is the norm.

Filmed over several years, Maisonneuve drops us into the culturally pluralistic college as it picks up the pieces after the trauma of 2015. The protagonists’ early opinions become more nuanced, revealing a maturity that reflects their journeys. We witness as their thinking evolves and becomes marked by a real openness to others.

The series takes us into the heart of the dialogue between different factions, as the college creates a safe space for the exchange of ideas in order to foster debate and reduce tensions among students. With its humanistic approach, Maisonneuve highlights both the importance and the fragility of living together in harmony in Quebec.

2015. Eleven students at Montreal’s Collège de Maisonneuve are arrested as they prepare to leave for Syria, where they plan to become Islamic State fighters. The shocking development affects everyone and exacerbates tensions already present at the school, where more than half the students are Muslims of Arab descent. Maisonneuve looks into the repercussions of this significant event and at the important questions it continues to raise. We meet Kaëlla, Rayene, Idir, Stéphanie and Samuel, young adults trying to find their way in a highly strained environment, where mistrust of the “other” is the norm. “We kind of became the lab rats of radicalization,” Rayene says.

Filmed over several years, this six-episode series takes us into the culturally pluralistic Collège de Maisonneuve, as the school picks up the pieces after the trauma of 2015. The series offers unprecedented access to the daily lives of students with different backgrounds and opinions. Each of the protagonists offers smart and nuanced views on their lives in their late teens, revealing a maturity that reflects their own journeys. We see how their thinking evolves, and how their reflections become marked by a real openness to others.

Maisonneuve looks at the dialogue that begins among the various groups. “Giving young people permission to say what they think, to say they don’t agree, is a good thing in a modern society that wants to grow and that considers itself open and democratic,” says Momo, a school social worker . By allowing them to express themselves and creating safe spaces for dialogue, the College fosters debate in order to deconstruct persistent myths and reduce tensions among members of the student body. With its humanistic approach, Maisonneuve highlights both the importance and the fragility of living together in harmony in Quebec.

One liner
Maisonneuve highlights the importance—and the fragility—of living together in harmony in Quebec, examining the fallout of a shocking event that shook Collège de Maisonneuve.

Two liner
Over six episodes, Maisonneuve looks at the repercussions flowing from the arrest of 11 students at Montreal’s Collège de Maisonneuve as they prepared to join the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria. From the initial shock to a gradual opening for dialogue, the series follows the paths of six exceptional young people who share their points of view. Through their eyes, Maisonneuve highlights both the importance and the fragility of living together in harmony in Quebec.

EPISODE 1
Collège de Maisonneuve is shaken by a shocking turn of events. Both students and faculty are deeply affected and try to make sense of this disturbing development.

EPISODE 2
The student association engages in critical self-assessment over diversity and considers the best way forward. Meanwhile, students question the association’s practices.

EPISODE 3
Different generations come together to discuss major issues, revealing wildly divergent points of view. How can we live together while respecting each other’s differences?

EPISODE 4
The 2017 Quebec mosque attack renews the debate over radicalization. In this tension-filled period, the Maisonneuve community finds itself grappling with questions of personal and social responsibility.

EPISODE 5
Police Tech students meet with members of an Algonquin community. They learn about the realities of minority groups… and the consequences of not following the rules.

EPISODE 6
Students take stock of their turbulent time at Maisonneuve. They reveal how the remarkable and striking events of the last two years—and the reflections they brought on—have influenced their own journeys.

Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution poster for print.

Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution images and poster for print.