Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau

‘After twelve weeks of striking, assemblies, solidarity, arrest, protest, what do we get? Nothing.’

As the 2012 'Maple Spring' student protest movement in Quebec slowly ebbs away, a dark storm of violence gathers. Driven by a growing sense of frustrated powerlessness and a longing for a new life, Klas Batalo, Ordine Nuovo, Tumulto and Giutizia form an avant-garde splinter group. Their deep-rooted hostility towards the prevailing social order finds an ambiguous political expression in acts that include guerilla pranks and throwing Molotov cocktails. Using powerful imagery shaped by a century of political aesthetics, the film is a collage of scenes and documentary fragments that makes the isolation of the four protagonists tangible. In the course of a path formed by ideals and doubt, we witness their radicalism as it increasingly turns inwards.

details

  • Runtime

    183 min
  • Country

    Canada
  • Year of Presentation

    2017
  • Year of Production

    2016
  • Director

    Mathieu Denis, Simon Lavoie
  • Cast

    Charlotte Aubin, Laurent Bélanger, Gabrielle Tremblay, Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez
  • Production Company

    art & essai
  • Berlinale Section

    Generation
  • Berlinale Category

    Feature Film

Biography Mathieu Denis

Born in Montréal, Canada in 1977, he studied cinema at the Université du Québec in Montréal. He first began working as an editor before turning to writing and directing in 2006. His short films Le Silence nous fera écho and Code 13 screened at numerous festivals around the world. He co-wrote and co-directed his first feature Laurentie (Laurentia) with Simon Lavoie. The film premiered at Karlovy Vary and won awards at many international festivals. His feature film Corbo was presented at the Berlinale in 2015.

Filmography Mathieu Denis

2011 Laurentie | 2014 Corbo

Biography Simon Lavoie

Born in Charlevoix, Canada in 1979, he studied film at the Université du Québec in Montréal. After making several short and medium-length films, he wrote and directed his debut feature film Le Déserteur in 2008. Le Torrent, a poetic adaptation of a work by Canadian writer Anne Hébert, premiered at the Festival du nouveau cinéma in Montréal. Following Laurentie (Laurentia), Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n’ont fait que se creuser un tombeau (Those Who Make Revolutions Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves) is his second collaboration with Mathieu Denis.

Filmography Simon Lavoie

2008 Le Déserteur | 2012 Laurentie | 2016 Le Torrent