Criminal cases and news items fascinate and inspire more and more podcasts in Quebec. The offer is exploding and the public is more than ever there. The craze is such that a very first event dedicated to the podcast of ” true crime “, the Podcrime festival, will bring together fans of this genre in Montreal on Saturday.
“I’ve been kicking around this idea for a while. I wanted to bring together listeners, creators, industry players and victims’ families to compare their points of view,” explains the project’s instigator, Stéphane Berthomet. A former police officer, he has worked in the podcast world for years. He notably created Missing(s) And Formidable for Radio-Canada.
“We don’t have many figures in Quebec, but the true crime is probably the most listened to genre in podcasts after humor and current events, he estimates. There are always new projects and some have millions of listens, it’s huge!
For this first edition of the Podcrime festival — at the Gesù in Montreal — several creators will talk about their experiences. Among them: Noémie Dumont from Crimes & CocktailsVictoria Charlton of Post-MortemAnnie Laurin from Captives or even Sébastien Lévesque from Distortion.
A forensic microbiologist will explain the importance of insect analysis to understand the circumstances of a death. Author Christian Page will present some of the occult crimes he has investigated. Guest of honor, legal journalist Claude Poirier will recount unusual and surprising moments from his career.
Festival-goers will also meet Andrée Béchard, the mother of Marilyn Bergeron, who died in 2008. “It’s important to hear the voices of loved ones too. Mme Béchard will be able to testify to what she experienced and tell her daughter’s story in her own words,” emphasizes Mr. Berthomet.
How to talk about crime?
Mme Béchard will then participate in a panel on the ethics surrounding the creation of podcasts. true crime. Can we tell everything? How can we arouse the interest of listeners without falling into sensationalism and entertainment? How can we tell these horror stories, which are human stories above all, with respect?
“We should all have these thoughts in advance. […] “I have often spoken with families of victims of crime who have been hurt by certain podcasts. There are sometimes clumsiness, factual errors, confusion,” Mr. Berthomet emphasizes.
While starting a podcast is now child’s play, talking about criminal cases is less so. It requires a lot of research, rigor and listening to the relatives of victims or criminals, he says.
We also need to find the right tone and balance between empathy and objectivity, adds Michèle Ouellette, who will participate in the panel on ethics. She co-created the podcast with her half-sister, Annie Laurin Captives, which looks at real crimes and unsolved disappearances in Quebec.
In each episode, they try to deliver their story as seriously and respectfully as possible. “I don’t understand those who laugh when telling a murder or a rape. It’s clumsy. There are humans concerned by all these stories,” says M.me Ouellette.
She says she often receives messages from relatives of victims or murderers who thank them for describing the context and sticking to the facts. “These relatives live and relive these real tragedies day after day. We have a duty to tell them well.”
Podcast Overdose?
In an ever-increasing range of podcasts true crimeMichèle Ouellette wonders if the market is not starting to become saturated. “Some people are stepping on each other’s toes by telling the same stories, especially stories about international cases. In Quebec, there are still tons of stories that we have never heard about,” she says.
Stéphane Berthomet doubts that enthusiasts will get bored. “We are attracted to what scares, disturbs and intrigues, it makes us experience a lot of emotions,” he says.
And considering how quickly tickets for the Podcrime festival have sold out, Berthomet is seriously considering organizing a second edition next year. “There are plenty of other creators to meet, other industry players to discover, and other families to listen to.”
The Podcrime festival will be held at Gesù on Saturday, August 24, in Montreal.