Qimmik, Michel Jean’s shocking work, published last October, shocked Anik Jean. The latter now wants to transfer this emotion to the screen for his film adaptation.
Through two fictional stories – which will eventually intersect – this novel is based on a very real part of our history. Qimmik, which means “dog” in Inuktitut, paints a portrait of the sled dog killings suffered by isolated communities in far northern Quebec in the 1960s.
“They kill their dogs to gain control; It’s disgusting to do this to a people,” said Anik Jean, whom the Journal spoke to on Tuesday.
The director says she is amazed that this tragedy is still unknown to the general public and wants to use this feature film to show people the realities – present and past – of these often silenced communities.
The novel Qimmik by Michel Jean. Photo provided by Éditions Libre Expression
“It’s a story we need to know, we can’t pretend it never happened,” she says. “I want people to be upset. »
The novel is currently number four among Renaud-Bray’s bestsellers.
Absorb the culture
Filming on this adaptation is not expected to begin for another two years, giving the director time to meet members of the Far North’s communities to learn more and “absorb” their culture.
“I want to surround myself with Inuit, I want to go to Kuujjuarapik several times before I start filming, I want to get to know the community and learn the language,” says Anik Jean enthusiastically.
Without revealing which names are of interest for distribution, the author of the film My Mother’s Men wants to involve the Inuit and Innu communities in the production as much as possible.
“I want so much to respect the story and for Inuit people to be proud of it being told. »