After the flood is less a work about diversity than about Quebec society. It is also not a series about the brutality of the blows within mixed martial arts (AMM, or the English acronym MMA), rather about that of the system. With her brilliant series — which she wrote, directed and co-produced with Miryam Charles (This house), notably —, Mara Joly (The madhouse) hits the nail on the head. “For me, MMA is a place of liberation from violence in a framework with rules and an art that allows you to learn to know yourself and cultivate self-esteem,” explains the filmmaker, who imagined the character by Maxime Salomon, a police officer who tries to save four young people from the wanderings of delinquency by introducing them to MMA. The one who plays the main role, Penande Estime, who we will also soon see on the big screen in Kanaval, by Henri Pardo, is surprised to see how violence is everywhere in fiction. “MMA, on the contrary, is a way to help young people channel their anger and feel integrated,” underlines the actress.
“There is systemic violence in being disadvantaged,” notes Mara Joly, Afro-descendant white appearing who grew up between three continents and many host families. She therefore knows better than anyone what she is talking about in After the flood, and it is precisely the systemic side of violence that she wanted to explore. “How to free yourself from it? » she asks with her series. The answer is, according to her, very simple: “break the stereotypes about disadvantaged people, including Afros, but not only”. According to her, society often tends to dehumanize certain spheres of society precisely because of these stereotypes. Latinas are much more than housekeepers, blacks are not just good at playing traffickers in local productions. For her part, Penande Estime indicates that if she has always been an actress, she had to turn to stunt work, especially in Ontario and the United States, due to a lack of interesting offers. “In Quebec, I was often offered cliché roles, and I found it hard. » She notes that here, when you are a black woman with dark skin, “the arms are less open”.
A series like society
“Since the murders of George Floyd and Joyce Echaquan, it seems that those in power have a desire to be active in some form of social reparation. It’s great because we’re starting to have more diversity on screen,” continues the filmmaker. But it shouldn’t be confused because the majority of the cast is non-white. “ After the flood is here to show how to get out of violence,” underlines Mara Joly. A little also to highlight “all the wealth to which we have never had access”. In this regard, Penande Estime, who, let’s admit it, illuminates every scene with her aplomb and magnetism, is infinitely grateful to her. “That Mara chose me for the role, that she chose a black woman dark skin with her afro, no matter what anyone says, that she went all the way is fortunate. » According to the actress, the door will probably open for other dark-skinned Quebec women. In addition, playing policewoman Maxime Salomon is an opportunity to be seen as a person. “My skin color is not who I am,” she maintains.
In order to achieve the perfect balance in her series, it was essential for Mara Joly “that the back of the camera was also representative of what is in front”. To do this, she called on an outstanding director of photography, Thomas Soto, whose magnificent sequences are reminiscent of those of Moonlight, by Barry Jenkins, orEuphoria, by Sam Levinson. “He also comes from a neighborhood surrounded by HLM. As we have already collaborated, he knows that it is a priority for me that the light highlights the dark skins. For me, that’s how I perceive it in life,” says the filmmaker. The lighting has been carefully designed to “give access to this beauty and this power and [pour] that we are finally represented at the height of our aesthetic,” she adds.
In fact, the entire teamAfter the flood has worked tirelessly to offer Quebec viewers very high quality content. “We were in awe,” says Mara Joly. Several times moved to tears during the interview, she hopes that her series will ensure that everyone can feel more concerned about others, be aware of their biases and their privileges. “Never minimize the impact you can have on a human being,” she finally breathes.