Blue Sky Jo
Although less celebrated than directing, production design is nonetheless essential to filmmaking, defining a film's very own world and atmosphere from the big picture to the smallest details. As part of our student mediation activities, this series offers a chance to rewatch on the big screen recent Québécois films that stand out for their exceptional production design, among other things, transporting us to another universe—whether a fantastical, bygone, or quirky one.
Special Offer: $5 for students
The 1980s, Quebec City. Her name is Hélène, but she goes by Jo because she wants to be like Joséphine La Petite Mousquetaire, the heroine of her favorite cartoons. Jo is only ten years old. She has three sisters, a father who’s very busy being unhappy, and a mother who is understanding but strict. She lives in a working-class neighborhood full of colorful characters whose most endearing is her new neighbor, Mr. Roger, a grumpy old man with a tender heart. As a romantic at heart with an imagination eager for exciting adventures, Jo would also like to accomplish great things. One day, she sets out on a mission to save her father from work and unhappiness.
Patrice Sauvé
Patrice Sauvé is a Québécois filmmaker, known for his work on cult TV series like the comedy-drama La vie, la vie (2001) and the fantasy drama Grande Ourse (2003-2005), which received its own feature film sequel, Grande Ourse, la clé des possibles, in 2009. He is also directed the films Cheech (2006), written by François Létourneau, Ça sent la coupe (2017), inspired by Matthieu Simard’s novel, and La petite et le vieux (2024), adapted from Marie-Renée Lavoie’s novel.
Photo: Bertrand Calmeau | Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise
