THOSE WHO MAKE REVOLUTION HALFWAY ONLY DIG THEIR OWN GRAVE
Judged the best Canadian entry at the Toronto International Film Festival, this work of unapologetic political and cinematic radicalism burns like a Molotov cocktail.
What happens to revolutionaries once the revolution has fizzled out? In a dilapidated commune, four young activists recite slogans and plot acts of vandalism; their goal to build on the fury unleashed during the 2012 Maple Spring, in which 200,000 Québécois students took to the streets to protest. Their ideological fervour and commitment to the cause are unbridled, but as their financial resources dwindle and their methods turn increasingly violent, the group threatens to disintegrate.
Featuring an impressive cast (including a breakout performance by transgender actress Gabrielle Tremblay) and some startling aesthetic choices – from shifting aspect ratios and on-screen text to a five-minute opening overture – this is both a contemporary answer to the late 60s work of Jean-Luc Godard and a bold new work of Canadian cinema.
'Chock full of ideas, provocation and spellbinding cinematic audacity … there is not a more ambitious movie you will see this year.' – Montreal Gazette