Mars & Avril
Science fiction pushes the boundaries, explores the improbable, and envisions the future of humanity. It also exposes us to extravagant visual effects and the inventive power of cinema, reflecting our deepest fantasies. In cinema, science fiction is immersive, creating worlds suddenly within our reach. This summer, over one hundred films from the history of cinema will allow us to witness this!
In the presence of the filmmaker
A surprising photo novel brought to life, Mars & Avril takes place in a futuristic Montreal just as humans are preparing to walk on Mars. Prominent septuagenarian Jacob Obus makes music from instruments with feminine curves built by his friend Arthur. Both men fall under the spell of the same woman, a young photographer named Avril. The ageing musician’s true nature will be revealed by his first love and his readiness to follow her to the Red Planet. Eugène Spaak, Arthur’s disembodied-head cosmologist father, will come to Jacob’s aid and help him retrieve his muse.
Martin Villeneuve
Martin Villeneuve is a Quebecois filmmaker. He is particularly known for his animated series adaptation of Red Ketchup (2023) and for his feature films The 12 Tasks of Imelda (2022) and Mars & Avril (2012). During his university studies, he created movie posters, including the one for Québec-Montréal, which won an award. He also directed several television commercials for Cirque du Soleil, as well as short films and music videos. In 2002, he published the revisited photo-novel Mars & Avril, where text, photographs, and illustrations combine to tell a story. In 2012, he completed his first feature film as a screenwriter, director, and producer, adapted from his graphic novels of the same name. The science fiction film stars Caroline Dhavernas, Paul Ahmarani, and Robert Lepage. In 2014, he directed the short film Imelda, in which he portrayed his grandmother. He eventually made seven more episodes in this series, which were compiled into a feature film, The 12 Tasks of Imelda, in 2022.
