Stars from here with updated Disney sauce

What would Cinderella and Snow White have become if they had still been with us? This is the question that Montreal photographer Bertrand Exertier asked himself, not only imagining the scene, but also entrusting the roles of Disney characters to well-known Quebec stars. Sketched since last fall in Montreal, the first photos of the project have been a hit for a week on the young photographer’s Instagram account.

Pierre-Marc Durivage
The Press

“This project represents the DNA that I want to give to my photos, that is to say, to bring out the extraordinary from the ordinary”, explains the 32-year-old photographer, who says he was inspired by a photo from 2017 where we see Celine Dion eating a hot dog in a prom dress after the Met Gala. Taking advantage of the fact that he rubbed shoulders with many Quebec stars while working as a researcher in several variety shows, he suggested that Véronique Cloutier take a similar photo in a convenience store after the recent Gémeaux awards gala.

The host immediately accepted. “Bertrand knows the job, he is super discreet and he works quickly, which makes him very good at contacting us. This also explains why he has such beautiful names in his project, supports the producer. He works fast and well, and he really has a knack for presenting things differently, even if it’s very simple. Also, he is a real kindness and he is super endearing! »

These are therefore 13 stars who have agreed to take the pose by camping the updated role of a Disney character. Until now, we have therefore seen Véro as Cinderella in the metro, Stéphane Rousseau as Prince Charming, always disappointed to have been dumped at midnight, Ariane Moffatt as Fairy Godmother who has become the owner of a shoe store, Sonia Benezra as Anita Darling having straightened out the business of Cruella de Vil, Marie-Ève ​​Janvier as Snow White at the grocery store and Mariana Mazza as Jasmine in a carpet shop.

An affection shared by the stars he contacted.

“It’s very funny because I’m an actress by training, and my first role in life was that of Snow White in high school,” says Sonia Benezra. When Bertrand told me about the project, I immediately told him that I wanted to be Snow White. Unfortunately, he told me that he had already thought of Marie-Ève ​​Janvier for this role. But I really liked doing Anita Darling, she has a very glamorous side that I love. I also find that it lacks a lot of glamor these days. Glamor allows us to dream! »

Same story with Véronique Cloutier: “I’ve always been a fan of Disney, it’s also a family passion, so when Bertrand told me he wanted to start his series with me in Cinderella, I I was enchanted, ”says the host and actress.

Bertrand Exertier, who plans each of his photo shoots in detail, suggests to the stars an item of clothing they have already worn – in the case of Véronique Cloutier, it was her dress worn at the 2012 Artis gala. work of the young photographer is therefore light years away from the great shoots, with sessions generally taking no longer than 15 minutes, which brings a refreshing spontaneity to the shots.

A characteristic that will be found in his future projects. “I see this series of photos as the beginning of a trilogy,” he says. I would like to follow up with something more ambitious about the impact of climate change that would be intended for a magazine, while the third installment would take place in Paris, New York and Montreal. Not Disney this time, but again following the theme of the extraordinary in the ordinary. »