Conte du Mile End
Montreal, is a crossroads of different cultures, and neighborhoods with very different histories. Many filmmakers have recently turned their cameras on specific sectors of the city, and with this films series, we wanted to share their perspectives to understand the human richness and contemporary issues of Quebec's great metropolis.
In the presence of the director
When human souls break up, they seem irreconcilable. Is there an antidote for heartbreak? Wandering through his neighbourhood after dusk, a young man, searching for answers, inspires friends and strangers to open their hearts to him. Encounters, confessions, slips: the autumn night sheds inhibitions.
Jean-François Lesage
After studying law, Jean-François Lesage began his career as a journalist for Radio-Canada television in Alberta and British Columbia. In 1998, shaken by the discovery of Chinese cinema, he headed to Beijing, where he was to spend six years. This is where he directed his first creative documentary, Sweet Nights Sour Nights (2004). He followed this up with How Can You Tell if the Little Fish Are Happy? (2009) co-directed with his brother Philippe Lesage. Back in Montréal, he then made A Mile End Tale (2013), the closing film at Visions du Réel 2014, followed by A Summer Love (2015), winner of the Grand Prize for Best Canadian Feature at the RIDM. The Hidden River (2017), his fourth feature, won the Special Jury Prize (Canadian feature) at the RIDM. In 2020, his feature Prayer for a Lost Mitten won Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs. His most recent documentary feature is Among Mountains and Streams (2024).
