Filming the second season of the series About Antoine will begin in Quebec in a dozen days, and given the finale of the first season, Sylvain Parent-Bédard hoped with all his heart that the adventure could continue.
“With an ending like that of the first season, we couldn’t leave viewers and families in our situation,” says Antoine’s father, Sylvain Parent-Bédard. “It would have been a kind of cancellation, so we really hoped that the results would be good enough to renew the show,” explains the series producer and founder of ComediHa! a few days before filming for season 2 begins.
Both Mr. Parent-Bédard and Antoine’s entire family and the members of his team on set can say that their mission is accomplished. The 10-part series, which tells the everyday life of a blended family caring for a 16-year-old with multiple disabilities, received six nominations for the next Gémeaux Awards gala as well as a nomination at the Fiction Festival from La Rochelle, France.
The 16-year-old actor is notably in the running for a Gemini Award in the Best Supporting Role: Comedy or Dramatic Comedy category. Podz, the series’ director, and Claude Legault, Antoine’s on-screen father, are also nominated for their contributions to the project.
According to Antoine’s father, the series’ director, other major festivals would also pay special attention to the project, but details have yet to be confirmed.
The producer and father speaks emotionally about the attention his project is receiving.
“It wasn’t just a production project, it was a life project; “A project close to my heart,” he says, wiping away a tear during his video interview with Le Journal. “Antoine brought something very powerful, he was very strong.”
What to expect from season two
The second chapter of the “About Antoine” series deals with the reality of this family, whose guardians are played by Claude Legault and Cathleen Rouleau, who have to care for an autistic, epileptic and mentally disabled teenager.
“What we want to put forward are all the decisions made on the basis of Antoine,” says Mr Parent-Bédard. “He is not autonomous. Even if Antoine is 16 years old, all our decisions are adapted to him,” he explains, adding that even a twenty-minute walk outside requires organization. considerably.
“We want to concentrate on the emotions and discover the search of the individual characters in connection with Antoine’s situation,” he happily reveals the main character’s father.
“A beautiful family 2.0”
In this series, produced in collaboration with Quebecor Content and available on Club Illico and soon on TVA, Cathleen Rouleau plays Julie, Antoine’s mother-in-law, who adapts to a new lifestyle that focuses on the young man’s well-being.
The author of the work did not have to delve far into her imagination, since she is actually the teenager’s stepmother. Like her character, Cathleen Rouleau is spoiled by the family spirit that reigns in Antoine’s life, even though it is a blended family.
“It’s really important to be able to live together and talk to each other without feeling uncomfortable,” says the one who has been in Antoine’s life for almost ten years. “These are not always obvious situations [les familles recomposées]“But we are proud that we solved what needed to be solved and we are happy with this dynamic,” says the actress, who appeared on the small screen for the first time.
“We celebrate Christmas together, we go on vacation together, we even spent a lot of time together,” she notes, talking about Nathalie Bigaouette, Antoine’s mother, and her partner, who is also the father of young daughters.
Ms. Bigaouette supports these comments and also believes that the family dynamic, which is as healthy on screen as it is in reality, has inspired other families who find themselves in the same situation.
“Sylvain and I still live very close to each other, we speak fluently, we lend each other the right equipment for Antoine,” says the mother of the young actor, who was selected for a Gémeaux Prize. “I think we’ve inspired families to simplify things a little bit. Since caring for a child with special needs can be stressful, there is no reason to make life more complicated,” says Ms. Bigaouette.
Good news is coming
In addition to the nominations that producer Sylvain Parent-Bédard says will continue to come in from around the world, international agreements to rebroadcast About Antoine are close to being finalized.
“We will have various news to announce in the coming months, but broadcasters from almost every continent seem to be very interested in the project,” he explains, pointing out that the second season of the series will be part of these agreements.
The event, organized half and half in favor of the Antoine Fund, began during the ComediHa! Festival Quebec ends September 5th.