Just before 7 p.m., they entered the crowded lobby of the Cyrco cinema and were greeted by youppi !, vivas !, hurras !, camera flashes, tons of smiles and no doubt a few tears.
In the small Cyrco theater in Cap-aux-Meules, the film Goodbye happiness was expected and more than welcome. Just like its artisans, many and generous to have made the trip from Montreal earlier in the day to premiere the film shot a little over a year ago in their part of the country.
Several children who had small roles or figured in the film went to greet the Antoine Bertrand, Louis Morissette, Patrice Robitaille, Charlotte Aubin, Marilyse Bourke and Elizabeth Duperré, too happy to find them.
Tom Gaudet, an 11-year-old who played the younger Thomas (played by Antoine Bertrand), was very happy to find him and have his picture taken with him. Just like Léo Verdier, 10, who played Maxime, Thomas’ only son.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Director Ken Scott first visited the Magdalen Islands while filming his film in October 2020. He loved the place so much that he returned there on vacation with his family in the summer. latest.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Charlotte aubin
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Patrice Robitaille plays William, one of the four brothers returning to the Islands. His character is that of a tormented writer whose inspiration will suddenly return.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Producer Christian Larouche, of Films Opale. He brought a hundred people to work on the set, in addition to hiring some 200 Madelinots.
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“Leo turned 22 days. He had a big fall, proudly says his father Philippe Verdier, from Havre-Aubert. He even performed a big stunt. I also played in the film. I had two figurations and a small part. In addition, I worked with the technical team. ”
Speaking before the presentation, producer Christian Larouche said how important it was to hold the premiere on the Islands.
We had so much fun there. People didn’t want to leave.
– Christian Larouche, producer ofGoodbye happiness
In an interview earlier today, Ken Scott told Press that this shooting had been for him the occasion of a first trip to the Islands. He loved it so much that he returned last summer on a family vacation.
“In these times of a pandemic, it is more important than ever to make our voices heard. That Quebeckers make films about people from here, ”he also declared.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Antoine Bertrand, Charlotte Aubin and Ken Scott visiting the show Long and widee, moderated by Pierre Aucoin (from the front) and Stéphane Arseneau, to the right of Ken Scott.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Antoine Bertrand, who plays Thomas in Goodbye happiness, had the joy of meeting Tom Gaudet, one of the children who play his character at a young age.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Laurent Martinet, 11, with Louis Morissette, whom he played in the child version of the character of Charles-Alexandre.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
At the Cyrco cinema, the team invited the children who had been chosen on the Islands to star in the film to join her.
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PHOTO ANDRÉ DUCHESNE, THE PRESS
Ken Scott and Christian Larouche address the spectators before the screening.
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Four brothers, a mourning
Goodbye happiness tells the story of four brothers, Thomas (Antoine Bertrand), William (Patrice Robitaille), Charles-Alexandre (Louis Morissette) and Nicolas (François Arnaud), who, following the death of their father, bring his ashes to Îles-de-la-Madeleine for a last family trip. But when Nicolas misplaces the precious urn, the journey takes a different turn. Especially since Charles-Alexandre, the family’s businessman, wanted to sell the house, which created divisions.
With the exception of François Arnaud, retained by a shooting abroad, all the main actors made the trip. In addition to Ken Scott and Christian Larouche, a few other members of the production team were also on site.
The good-natured atmosphere of the day began as soon as the travelers arrived at Saint-Hubert airport, especially when we learned that Louis Morissette had suffered a puncture on the way. It continued on the plane and on arrival in the Magdalen Islands.
As soon as he got off the small aircraft at Havre-aux-Maisons airport, Antoine Bertrand rushed to the desk of the Agence de location des Îles and left a Tupperware dish in front of General Manager Odette Cormier. The latter burst out laughing before hugging him.
“Three times, during the shooting, Odette gave me fudge,” says the actor.
He will take up the anecdote a few hours later on the show Up and down, hosted by Pierre Aucoin and Stéphane Arseneau on CFIM 92.7 radio. “I was greeted with the keys to the rental car and a jar of fudge. There is worse than that ”, he launched on the airwaves.
Director Ken Scott and actress Charlotte Aubin participated in this half-hour interview. “I fell in love with the Magdalen Islands,” said Charlotte Aubin, who also made her first trip to the Islands for the shoot. And it’s fun to come back to the scene of the crime to launch our promotional tour. It’ll bring the gang together again. ”
Between two rounds of interviews, Pierre Aucoin surprised his guests by making them taste a typical Madelinot dessert: the grasshopper tart ordered at the restaurant Le patio, in Cap-aux-Meules. A very light dish made, if we understood correctly, of marshmallows, Oreo cookies and creme de mint. The green color of the liquor, reminiscent of an insect, is the most exotic element …
Ken Scott does not hide it: the film was initially to be shot in Provence. The coronavirus pandemic has changed plans. The director does not regret it.
The Magdalen Islands are distinguished by an atmosphere with countless exceptional places. Sometimes you shoot in a place that has a few exceptional locations. But here they are all! There is something mystical that I was looking for to tell a story.
Ken scott
Joined by Press the day before this visit, Mayor Jonathan Lapierre, who could not attend the evening, spoke of a “very respectful production team” throughout his presence on the Islands. “The project aroused a little fear, because it was happening in the midst of COVID-19, but very quickly, they gave us confidence by giving us an overview of their project and explaining all their needs. ”
The production also recruited more than 200 Madelinots, whether for small roles, figuration or technical work.
“The spinoffs were very significant,” says Mayor Lapierre. And I believe that the cinephile will discover in this film the Islands under the lens of a director who does not seek the postcard. ”
Goodbye happiness hits theaters on December 17th. The costs of this report were paid by Les films Opale.