A Cannes Film Festival Jury selects Aylmer filmmaker

The Cannes Film Festival invited Aylmer filmmaker and screenwriter Caroline Monnet for their sought-after Cinéfondation writing residency in Paris starting this fall.

“It’s like a dream come true. I’ve been dreaming of Festival de Cannes’ Parisian residency since I started being interested in cinema. It’s an incredible opportunity for me to not only familiarize myself with the European market, but to work in a professional setting with skilled script advisors. I am totally excited by this opportunity and by the prospects of focusing only on the task at hand,” she told the Bulletin.

Monnet joins a group of select emerging filmmakers worldwide, handpicked by a Cannes Film Festival Jury to participate in the four-month long residency. Annually, the well-known festival only invites a handful of applicants to their Paris residency to work on a movie.

“It’s a very competitive residency that is open to worldwide applicants. There are many talented writers/ directors out there and this selection means that my project is relevant and original enough for people to want to see it come to fruition. For me, it means I will most definitely make a feature film in the next couple of years, and this with the generous help from the Cinéfondation residency of the Festival de Cannes. It’s a big boost because it not only validates my work and my efforts, but also those of my funders and my peers,” said Monnet.

 

“The residency is set up so that I will have many one-on-one meetings with industry professionals and scriptwriters. I am excited by this opportunity to learn, be criticized and be guided.

“I think this residency will allow me to open up my horizons, step outside of my comfort zone and grow as a writer and as a director.”

Monnet, born to an Algonquin mother and a Brittany father, will take this opportunity to continue working on her first feature-length film, dubbed Bootlegger, produced by Microclimat Films. The script is written in full collaboration with Daniel Watchorn, also from Aylmer. Both have previously collaborated on Gephyrophobia and La Mallette Noire. This is their first attempt at writing a feature film.

The movie centres around the character Laura, who smuggles booze onto a native reserve shortly before a referendum to repeal an alcohol ban on the reserve.

“I think we’ve never seen that reality on screen yet. Often people think the movie is set in the past because we talk about bootlegging, but this film is very contemporary and is set in present time. I am interested in exploring old prohibition laws aimed towards Indigenous people. Can you imagine that up until 1956 Indigenous people were still considered minors under the law? This was meant to put down an entire nation, assimilate them and keep them under check. I believe it’s interesting to shake things up and to challenge myself to touch sensitive subjects,” said Monnet. “What I hope will stand out is the resilience of my characters and how an entire community holds itself together with pride, humour and humanity.”

Monnet currently lives in Montréal, but visits Aylmer regularly to see her parents.