38th Gemini Awards | Victories at the last minute of Indefensible and Before the Crash

Big surprises at 38^are Gemini price. While nothing announced their triumph, the series Before the crash And Indefensible won top honors on Sunday evening.

Indefensible was crowned best daily series ahead of STAT. And yet, Radio-Canada’s medical saga had dominated each of the categories that pitted it against TVA’s legal soap opera: best text (Marie-Andrée Labbé), best leading role (Suzanne Clément), best supporting role (Geneviève Schmidt) and best direction (Danièle Méthot).

At the microphone, after picking up her trophy at the start of the ceremony, Suzanne Clément congratulated the headliner of the opposing camp. “Well done, Sébastien Delorme. I know what you’re going through. »

Once on stage, Izabel Chevrier, from Pixcom productions, the company behind Indefensiblereturned the favor to the opposing camp.

The section reserved for dramatic series also had a similar twist in store for the spectators gathered at the Théâtre Maisonneuve. After letting slip all the golden statuettes he had the chance to collect, the financial thriller Before the crash, broadcast on ICI Télé, won the ultimate award: best drama series. The offering by authors Éric Bruneau and Kim Lévesque-Lizotte, which offers an immersion in the world of investment bankers, was ahead of The night Laurier Gaudreault woke upwhich won in several categories, including best direction (Xavier Dolan).

Elsewhere in fiction, Alerts was named Best Annual Drama Series. The announcement startled Sophie Prégent, who co-stars in the TVA police drama with Frédéric Pierre and Mylène Saint-Sauveur.

As for comedies, Completely high school has supplanted Guys, The eye of the storm, About Antoine And The air of going. The Noovo series, which pastiches American soap operas for teenagers, completed its hat trick, after winning the prizes for best direction and best text.

Another victory recorded for Noovo: that of the author Simon Boulerice for Pet (best text – drama series).

The comedy Discussions with my parents, who was not registered for the gala this year, won the public prize. In the spotlight, François Morency pointed out that this was the first Gémeaux won by his series, after six years of disappointment. The comedian thanked the viewers, who continue to flock in large numbers on Mondays. “You are the one and final jury. Never forget it. »

Actresses are ahead of actors

As the Academy had abandoned male-female divisions in favor of gender-neutral categories, actors and actresses competed within the same group on Sunday. Those who feared that such a change would favor the male sex can breathe easy: the actresses won five of the six acting prizes awarded at the evening gala.

Christine Beaulieu won in front of – among others – Fabien Cloutier (Leo), Claude Legault (About Antoine) and Catherine-Anne Toupin (Me neither !) to win the prize for best leading role – comedy for The eye of the storm.

In drama series, Patrick Hivon (Laurier Gaudreault) emerged winner of a particularly tough category, which brought together high-flying performances, notably from Evelyne Brochu in Petas well as Éléonore Loiselle and Antoine Pilon in Disobey: Chantale Daigle’s choice.

With emotion, Patrick Hivon thanked Xavier Dolan. “You have been like a brother to me. You are full of love, and I hope you will accept it from everyone. »

As for supporting roles, in addition to Geneviève Schmidt (STAT), the Academy praised the work of Frédéric Millaire Zouvi (5^e Rank – annual drama series), by Micheline Bernard (About Antoine – comedy) and Anne Dorval (Laurier Gaudreault – drama series). Visibly touched, the latter also spoke directly to Dolan. “Every time I’m on the brink, you bring me back to life a little. »

En jeunesse, la deuxième saison de Lou et Sophie a dominé, tandis que l’animateur Mathieu Pichette s’est distingué pour Bizarroscope, une émission d’UnisTV.

Ailleurs en animation, les prix ont été distribués parmi France Beaudoin pour En direct de l’univers (variétés), Jean-Philippe Dion pour La vraie nature (entrevues ou talk-show) et Katherine Levac pour Les Olivier (humour).

Une industrie « en train de couler »

Quelques personnalités ont profité des Gémeaux pour envoyer des messages. En soirée, dimanche, Charles Lafortune, qui produit Indéfendable et Alertes, a rappelé que l’industrie télévisuelle québécoise vivait des « moments tumultueux ».

« On fait le party ce soir, mais j’ai l’impression qu’on est un peu comme l’orchestre sur le Titanic. Il faut écouter, il faut regarder notre télé. Il faut en parler, il faut la diffuser. Parce que ce serait vraiment plate d’avoir La petite maison dans la prairie à 20 h le soir », a-t-il signalé.

Présidente de Sovimage, la maison de production derrière Avant le crash, Sophie Deschênes a fait écho aux discours de Charles Lafortune en déplorant le sous-financement de notre industrie télévisuelle, qui serait « en train de couler ».

Au Gala d’ouverture, diffusé en après-midi sur ICI ARTV, Florence Longpré a également débordé des remerciements d’usage après avoir accepté le trophée de l’émission s’étant le plus illustrée à l’étranger pour Audrey est revenue, qu’elle a écrite avec Guillaume Lambert. Avec son humour habituel, l’actrice et autrice a prévenu l’auditoire qu’elle allait « faire une Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge [d’elle-même], but for a much less confused cause”: that of Mères au front, a collective which wishes to break inaction in the face of climate change. The winner notably decried “the alarming situation in Rouyn-Noranda”, where the Horne Foundry is the subject of numerous controversies concerning its arsenic emissions into the air.

“It is time to listen to the scientists and activate the political levers,” she said. Our elected officials must assume the most important of their responsibilities: protecting health. »

Also in the afternoon, the Academy Grand Prize was awarded to Mégantic and to For you Flora, two fictions which recounted, respectively, real tragedies: the railway drama of 2013 and the horror of residential schools for Aboriginal people. The host of the Opening Gala, Nicolas Ouellet, described these productions as “important duties of memory which should mark our television”.