In a future that could unfold tomorrow morning, the environmental crisis is so severe that unless the world’s population is significantly reduced, humanity is doomed to annihilation. Hence the implementation of a voluntary euthanasia program. The father of four quarrelsome adults, Charles, a wealthy retired news anchor, has just signed up with his second wife, Dawn. This, to the dismay of his offspring, gathered for a final supper. However, when Dawn changes her mind and slips away, the official who has come to carry out the procedure demands a second corpse… In Humane (Human), brothers and sisters love each other to death, it goes without saying.
Written by Michael Sparaga, this black comedy – or carmine red, depending on – is the first production of Caitlin Cronenberg, sister of Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor, Infinity Pool) and daughter of David Cronenberg (Scanners, Crash), to stay with the theme of family.
“When I read Michael’s script, I could see every scene in my head — I’m very visual,” confides Caitlin Cronenberg, joined by videoconference in anticipation of her visit to Montreal for the premiere of Humane on April 25 at the Parc cinema, presented in collaboration with Fantasia.
“And it turns out that I really liked what I read and saw. These brothers and sisters confined in the family mansion, with the tension rising: it was a universe I wanted to dive into. I would point out that Michael and I have known each other for years, and that we share the same type of macabre humor. »
The unusual concept, namely this early assisted suicide program, immediately piqued the director’s curiosity because of its ethical and moral significance. “It’s a variation on the old streetcar dilemma: kill one person to save many. Obviously, we hope that we never come to this, but the context of total environmental collapse of the film makes this dilemma pressing, immediate. At the same time, we have just experienced the COVID pandemic, and I am quite certain that most of us never thought we would experience something like this in our lifetime…”
As it is presented to us at the beginning of the film, the said program, established for a while now, is intended to be on a voluntary basis: each participant is paid, the money going to the heirs after death.
Except that the authorities’ claim that this voluntary system is fair is false. In fact, people who agree to end it are motivated by the compensation their family will receive. Therefore, it is mainly the less fortunate who make this heartbreaking choice. “Do the people who engage in the procedure really have a choice? The question arises,” says Caitlin Cronenberg.
Return to childhood
Unfortunately, in the same way that they failed to meet their pollution targets, governments are unable to achieve their objectives in terms of hasty deaths. Hence the announcement of a new approach which will take the form of a draw.
Obviously, the dice are loaded in favor of the powerful and the rich, as revealed by Jared, the eldest of the clan, who is spokesperson for the government – or the “administration”, as this supreme body is called in the film , in an index of global Americanization. “The character of Jared is the typical guy who claims to act for the good of all, but who is in reality an opportunistic asshole,” summarizes Caitlin Cronenberg, smirking.
Jared is in good company in this case, his brother, Noah, and their two sisters, Rachel and Ashley, proving capable of the worst when pushed to their limits. The viewer spends most of the film observing them hiding from each other, chasing each other with makeshift weapons and inflicting all kinds of abuse on each other while outside, the “euthanasia” waits. the second corpse necessary to obtain his bounty.
On the background, Humane is therefore part of a long tradition of stories combining filial rivalry and black humor. When Caitlin Cronenberg is asked why, in her opinion, the two paradoxically fit together so well, the director takes the time to reflect. “I think it has something to do with the fact that, during family reunions, when we meet our parents, and our brothers and sisters, if applicable, we almost immediately go back to childhood. Literally. »
“By this I mean that we instantly begin to act immaturously, as old jealousies and resentments resurface. I think the film shows this phenomenon well. As for why it lends itself so well to dark humor… Maybe it’s because the spectacle of adult siblings clumsily trying to kill each other in their childhood home is intrinsically funny. »
Indeed, it is.
The film Humane hits the stage on April 26