A wind of change is blowing through youth cinema in Quebec. Like the popular franchise of stories for everyoneIn the recently re-released film, several young filmmakers try to restore the nobility of this genre, which once held an important place in our cinematography.
This is especially true for Sophie Farkas Bolla, director of Jules au pays d’Asha, a family fairy tale that hits cinemas in a few days. Growing up being inspired by the world of Tales for All (from War of the Tuques to The Frog and the Whale), she wanted to make her own contribution by also contributing to the revival of youth cinema in Quebec contributed.
“I find it really funny because for a long time we mainly financed auteur films and films for the general public in Quebec, and youth cinema went a bit under,” says Sophie Farkas Bolla in the Journal interview.
“But there we have had the feeling for a few years that youth cinema has reclaimed its place. Last year there was Pas d’chicane dans ma Cabin, directed by Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, a good friend of mine. There is also Sarianne Cormier, who is preparing her film Au Revoir Pluton, without forgetting the new Conte pour tous Coco ferme. I find it exciting and happy to be part of this revival of youth cinema. It’s fun to be able to offer children such films here.
Jules au pays d’Asha, winner of the Montreal Grand Prix at the Montreal International Children’s Film Festival (FIFEM) last March, tells the unlikely friendship between Jules (Alex Dupras), a boy suffering from a rare skin, and Asha ( Gaby Jourdain). , a young Aboriginal girl, in rural Quebec in 1940. Together, the two new friends venture to the other side of the forest to discover nature and its mysteries.
The imaginary as a place of refuge
“I wanted to talk about the fantasy of childhood and show how refuge in fantasy can help us get through a difficult time,” explains Sophie Farkas Bolla.
“I also wanted to tell a story about the friendship between two children who come from two completely different worlds and who open their hearts to each other to achieve extraordinary things together. Nature is a very important element of the film. I wanted to capture the feeling you get when you’re a kid and that everything becomes magical when you play in the forest.”
Actress Marilyse Bourke, who plays Jules’ mother in the film, says she is “very much in love” with Sophie Farkas Bolla’s debut feature film.
“There’s a lot of sweetness and tenderness in her writing,” the actress points out.
“Coming from the days of Conte pour tous too, I know how much these films shaped our imaginations when we were young. As you engaged in the story, it left marks in your subconscious that you carried around with you afterwards. I had the same feeling when I read the Jules au pays d’Asha scenario. All the lace Sophie wrapped her story with made her story very rich.
► Jules in the land of Asha hits theaters on July 7th.