Cinema
J.A. Martin Photographer
J.A. Martin photographe
Jean Beaudin · 1977
Synopsis
Rural Quebec, at the end of the nineteenth century. Every summer, Joseph-Albert Martin sets out alone for six weeks, by horse and carriage, to photograph his distant clients: births, weddings, family portraits, taken on glass plates. That summer, his wife, Rose-Aimée, leaves their five children and decides to go with him, to the great scandal of the family and the neighbours. They have fifteen years of marriage behind them, and routine has drawn them apart.
Context
Monique Mercure plays Rose-Aimée and shared the best actress award at Cannes with Shelley Duvall; she was the first Canadian to receive it. The photography, which at times imitates old plates, is by Pierre Mignot. The film, produced by the Office, was chosen to represent Canada at the Oscars. The filmmaker later drew a book from it with the novelist Hélène Ouvrard, published in Montreal in 1980.
Who it is for
One hundred and one minutes, in French; a slow, restrained film about a couple, set in the landscapes of the Quebec countryside.
Prizes and reception
Best actress prize and ecumenical jury prize at Cannes; seven Etrog awards, including those for feature film and direction.
Sources for this page 9
The pages consulted to check this page.