The 20the The Montreal International Black Film Festival, which runs until September 29, will present around a hundred films from 30 countries. At our request, the founder and president of the MIBFF, Fabienne Colas, has chosen four flagship titles from the event.
The last mealby Maryse Legagneur
Reynold is dying of stomach cancer. He uses the pretext of the last meals to share them with his daughter Vanessa, whom he has not seen for 20 years. At first hesitant, Vanessa agrees to see her father again. Over the course of the meals, a ritual sets in, the traditional dishes act as a reminder of the past. Vanessa discovers who her father really is: a loving man whose dictatorship had hardened his heart. Fabienne Colas suggests it because it is a French-language, Quebecois film that won the Grand Prix at the Quebec City Film Festival last week. “Also, the director Maryse Legagneur presented a film at the Festival 20 years ago, and she is returning this year for the 20e birthday. “
Thursday, September 26, 7 p.m., Museum Cinema
The Village Next To Paradiseby Mo Harawe
In a windswept Somali village, a newly formed family must navigate their different aspirations and the complex world around them. Single father Mamargade works odd jobs to give his son Cigaal a better life. After her divorce, his sister Araweelo moves back in with them. Despite the changing winds of a country plagued by civil war and natural disasters, love, trust and resilience will allow them to take charge of their destiny. “This is an excellent film that was nominated at Cannes, in the Un Certain Regard section,” says Fabienne Colas. “We are lucky to be presenting it! We are presenting it at the closing of the festival, during our awards ceremony.”
Sunday, September 29, 5 p.m., Concordia University
Kidnapping Inc.by Bruno Mourral
In Port-au-Prince, the son of a wealthy presidential candidate has just been kidnapped. Doc and Zoé, two amateur gangsters, are supposed to deliver the young man to their boss, but accidentally kill him. With a hitman on their tail, they stumble upon Patrick, who looks exactly like the senator’s son. In the middle of a controversial presidential election and a political conspiracy, Doc and Zoé embark on one of Haiti’s craziest kidnappings. Fabienne Colas recommends it because it’s a film shot in Haiti, in Creole and French, and was selected at the Sundance Film Festival. “It tells a true story of kidnapping in Haiti and it’s very touching.”
Friday, September 27, 8:30 p.m., Concordia University
Being Black in Canada
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Short documentaries by Black Canadian filmmakers are presented as part of the event.
The Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada (ENAC) program is a professional training program that last year supported 27 Black Canadian filmmakers aged 18 to 30, from Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, in the creation of short documentaries. Some thirty of them are presented as part of the Festival. “These are the first films of the new generation, of the next generation of Black filmmakers,” emphasizes Fabienne Colas. “ENAC is an essential step on the path to representation and racial equity, on screen and behind the camera. This unique project will continue to inspire emerging artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and will change the face of the Canadian film industry.”
Thursday, September 28, 5:30 p.m. (films from Montreal and Ottawa) and 8 p.m. (films from Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto), Cinéma du Parc