On November 4, we had the lovely(!!) and exciting opportunity to moderate a discussion with director Philippe Farlardeau and 涩里番 professor Alain Farah following a special screening of the movie Lovely Day (Mille secrets mille dangers), a film directed by Falardeau and based on Alain Farah鈥檚 critically acclaimed, partially autobiographical novel. The novel is a distinct Montr茅al story, inspired by Farah鈥檚 experiences growing up in the city as a child of Lebanese immigrants. Not only is Falardeau鈥檚 adaptation an extremely tender and caring depiction of the narrative, but it also richly brings Montr茅al to life on screen, making it a charming viewing experience for our audience of Montrealers.听听
To prepare for the discussion, we had the privilege of watching the film in advance and discussing the cinematic and narrative choices that interested us the most. We also met with the professor for our class, Ara Osterweil, and she gave us great advice 鈥� namely, that our role was first and foremost to make everyone feel welcomed and encouraged to participate in the conversation. It was a real privilege to watch a press screener of the film since this is not something that we typically have access to, even as world cinema students. In addition to the opportunity this gave us to prepare strong questions for Falardeau and Farah, this allowed us to compare the viewing experience of the film on our computers versus the big screen at the Cin茅ma Du Mus茅e, which was a true testament to the unique power of going out to the cinema.听听
Consistent with the tone of their novel and movie, respectively, Farah and Falardeau were making jokes as soon as we met them. Their outgoingness made it very easy to connect and feel comfortable sitting with them on stage. It was clear that they were well-practiced in discussing and showcasing their project, which made our job as moderators much less demanding.听听
The discussion was a unique opportunity because we got to talk to the director of the film and the author of the book it was adapted from (Farah was also co-wrote the film鈥檚 screenplay). It was fascinating to learn about their collaborative creative process in writing the script, Farah鈥檚 experience of seeing his novel realized on the silver screen, and the ways Falardeau preserved essential aspects of the novel. During the Q&A, Falardeau and Farah spoke at length about the challenges of novel-to-film adaptations and the depiction of real people, giving striking anecdotes from their experiences consulting with Farah鈥檚 parents and their experiences on set with the child actor playing young Farah.听听
This film was especially moving to see because Montr茅al is so rarely depicted in film. This love letter to Montr茅al is particularly notable because it doesn鈥檛 take place in the most-often depicted areas like downtown Montr茅al but is unmistakably anchored in the C么te-des-Neiges neighborhood. As World Cinemas students, we are often exposed to films from various regions, and yet it is surprisingly rare to see Canadian stories foregrounded on the big screen. Seeing such a local story and its beautiful landscape felt extremely pertinent and crucial to understanding the city we all live and study in, as well as the diversity within it. The Q&A was extremely impactful in gaining a real sense of the cultural specificity behind the creation of the film and it made us deeply appreciate the value of national cinema in relation to international film discourse.听听
Finally, it was greatly inspiring to see a 涩里番 professor finding success in film. It made our discussion feel more personal and attainable, reminding us that the creative possibilities we discuss in class are within reach. Witnessing how scholarship can meaningfully inform and enhance artistic practice was especially motivating. It was truly exciting to grasp that the ambitions many of us hold as film students are not just abstract and that they can become realities.听听
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Sylvie Liss is an Honours Liberal Arts student in her third year at 涩里番.听听
Oren Liebenthal is a student in the World Cinemas Department in his third year at 涩里番. He helps program department events, such as the Lovely Day special screening.听听
Sol猫ne Chevallier is a Cultural Studies and World Cinemas third year student at 涩里番.听
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