LAC-MEGANTIC | Moved, indignant and galvanized after seeing the premiere, Tuesday evening, of two episodes of Philippe Falardeau’s documentary series on the railway tragedy that killed 47 people in 2013, residents of Lac-Mégantic dare to believe that this work will change the things.
• Read also: “It’s the most important screening”: Philippe Falardeau feverishly at the idea of presenting his documentary to the people of Lac-Mégantic
“We will continue the fight,” promised spokesperson for the Coalition of Citizens for Rail Safety in Mégantic, Robert Bellefleur, who is himself a participant in the series. Lac-Mégantic: This is not an accidentafter the screening at the Polyvalente Montignac.
“It’s very powerful because beyond the fact that people from Lac-Mégantic are said to be resilient, they are also tenacious. They want an independent public inquiry, they want to know the truth, they especially want those responsible to be identified one day.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Robert Bellefleur
“It seems that my anger is just growing,” had just launched, a few minutes earlier, a spectator during a session of questions, answers and comments with Philippe Falardeau, after the screening.
“Imagine if it jumps…”
Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny, whose book Mégantic: a tragedy foretold served as a working basis for Philippe Falardeau, said that thanks to the documentary, “something could not not happen to obtain both justice and both prevent other Mégantics”.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny
“It’s the first time I have this feeling,” said the one who recalled that the situation has not improved in downtown Lac-Mégantic.
“Now we have 45 propane tanks passing through here. Imagine if it jumps, there will be no more Mégantic.
Flats
Others are not so optimistic. The mayor of the neighboring municipality of Frontenac, Gaby Gendron, has no illusions.
“I don’t think it changes much, neither at Transport Canada, nor at CP, nor at CN. It’s sad to say, but that’s it.”
Photo Cedric Belanger
Gaby Gendron
Filmmaker Philippe Falardeau also thinks that it is unlikely that a public inquiry will ever be launched. He is nevertheless delighted with the reaction of the Méganticois.
“I didn’t want to stoke the pain, but maybe maintain some anger or outrage. I did not want to throw oil on the fire and, according to the reaction of the room, I think that it is mission accomplished”, he confided.
Vivid emotions
As was the case when the series Megantic was presented to the people of Lac-Mégantic two months ago, emotions were running high during and after the screening.
Isabelle Boulanger, who lost her son Frédéric Boutin on July 6, 2013, had her eyes in the water when she came to meet the journalists. “It may be ten years soon, it still stirs up emotions,” she shared.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Isabelle Boulanger
Even Philippe Falardeau was overwhelmed watching his work on the big screen. “Me, I saw it 150 times by dint of doing it. At some point, you get a little numb. There, watching it with the people here, I must admit that I found it difficult to see certain scenes again.
- Lac-Mégantic: This is not an accident will be presented in competition at the Canneseries festival next week, then at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto at the end of April.
- The series will be dropped on the Vrai platform on May 2.