Wetlands

Known for his haunting, poetic and beautifully composed short films — including La battue, a 2006 Canada’s Top Ten Shorts selection — Montreal filmmaker Guy Édoin makes an impressive leap to features with Wetlands, an earthy and affecting family drama set against the difficult economic realities of running a small family farm in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Two of Quebec’s biggest stars, Pascale Bussières and Luc Picard, head the cast as a hard-working farming couple. Newcomer Gabriel Maillé is their teenaged son, something of a disappointment to them. François Papineau is the interloper whose arrival, after a terrible turns of events, stirs things up. Édoin’s elemental tale, shot in lush widescreen, takes in themes of tragedy, mourning, forgiveness, sexuality, identity, and mother-son strife. “Haunting and powerful ... Édoin’s aesthetic is a cross between naturalism and melodrama, reminiscent of Fassbinder” (Toronto I.F.F.). “Impeccable ... A quietly impressive directing debut” (Boyd von Hoeij, Variety). Colour, 35mm, in French with English subtitles. 111 mins.