Posted at 7:00 am
Back in 2015. In the small conference room at La Fête productions, then-director Dominic James spent an afternoon chatting with Rock Demers. He has heard that the producer of La guerre des tuques, Bach et Bottine and many other family films wants to sell his company. The filmmaker hopes to take the torch in hand.
“Les contes pour tous, it has shaped the collective imagination,” he says in an interview with La Presse. It made us laugh and cry. Above all, it made us dream. For me it was unthinkable that there is no second life. »
His speech was definitely convincing. “At the end of the conversation with Rock, he took my hand and said, ‘It has to be you.’ »
Dominic James has a lump in his throat as he tells this anecdote. “It happens to me every time,” he says. But on this day of media interviews for the release of the 25th film in the Tales for All series, Coco concludes, we feel that he is particularly moved by the memory of his “mentor” who passed away in 2021.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Sébastien Gagné, director, and Dominic James, producer and screenwriter
It must be said that this youngest was incubated for a very long time. Because by taking over the production house, Dominic James has not only made a name for himself as an entrepreneur, but he has also redefined how La Fête creatively differentiates itself in an environment where supply (particularly from elsewhere) is plentiful.
There are projects that we have started to address but we were not happy with the direction it was going. We left her. That’s why it took seven years.
Dominic James, Producer and Screenwriter
Like the other films in the Tales for All series, the new titles must be “unifying” and offer film lovers of all ages an “emotional, human and enriching” experience, says Dominic James.
“The aspect of Les Contes pour tous that we wanted to preserve is the spirit, the tone. […] That it really feels Quebecois, that we hear the Quebecois,” adds director Sébastien Gagné (Nuit blanche, Let go, Le chalet), who is signing his first feature film here.
Three friends, one company, 300 chickens
Co-produced by La Fête and Attraction Images Productions, Coco Ferme takes young and old to the countryside of Estrie, where Max (Oscar Desgagnés), a budding entrepreneur, has just moved with his father. Confused by this environment, he will gradually adjust to his new life by getting into the production of fresh eggs with his cousin Charles (Joey Bélanger) and her friend Alice (Emma Bao Linh Tourné). Raymond (Benoît Brière), an alcoholic nicknamed Tite-Bière, drops the bottle to help them. Together they will raise 300 chickens (and yes, they were all present on the film set).
Certain elements of the story are reminiscent of those of Tirelire, Combines et cie, published in 1992. But beware: “This is not a remake, Dominic James points out. Yes, sometimes there is intellectual property in La Fête that is so successful and so interesting that we like to take inspiration from it to create a new work. »
This is the case with Coco Farm, which also features Vincent Bolduc, the hero of Tirelire, tricks and cie. Elements “inspired” by the past will also feature some in Mlle Bottine, which is scheduled to start filming next summer. But no, it won’t be a remake of Bach and Bottine, the producer specifies.
“We can’t crash”
Since Tales for All fans are numerous, do the film’s creators feel some pressure as the release of the 25th title in the series nears?
From the moment Rock Demers says to you, “It has to be you,” there’s a tremendous amount of pressure that comes with it. […] We can’t crash. The public’s emotional connection to Tales for All is so strong. We wear it ourselves, we are fans. The pressure has been there every day for seven years.
Dominic James, Producer and Screenwriter
The young actors also grasp the significance of this series for Quebec culture. “When we were offered the project, it was just amazing to know it was one of Tales for All,” says Emma Bao Linh Tourné. “It was very special to play the main character of a series that shaped a lot of people,” adds his colleague Oscar Desgagnés. I was very happy to do that. I was even honored. »
“Playing in a conte pour tous isn’t nothing,” concludes Joey Bélanger.
Coco Ferme will be released on February 24th.
Overview of the protagonists
Maxence, aka Max
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Oscar Desgagnes plays Maxence.
Forced to move to the country with his father, Maxence, a budding entrepreneur, is looking for a new business opportunity. When he saw laying hens at his cousin Charles’s, he had the idea of starting a small business with fresh eggs. How would his interpreter Oscar Desgagnés describe Max in a few words? “Creative and ambitious. He never lets go,” replies the one we saw in The Time Harvester.
Karl
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Joey Bélanger, interpreter for Charles
The rather shy Charles, Max’s cousin, gains self-confidence through his involvement with the Coco Ferme company. His creativity will surprise more than one by the end of the film. “He’s going to struggle to understand the farming field and really help build something,” says his interpreter Joey Bélanger, who himself learned to raise a hen for the purposes of the film.
Alice
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Emma Bao Linh Tourné plays the role of Alice.
Alice is both a gardener and a YouTuber and will come to the rescue of Max and Charles thanks to her knowledge of social networks. “She is ambitious, enterprising and enveloping,” says Emma Bao Linh Tourné. Alice’s interpreter also said she was very proud to be involved in a film that would appeal to both children and adults.
Raymond, aka Tite-Bière
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Benoît Brière lends his facial features to Raymond.
“A wonderful gift. This is how Benoît Brière describes the role of Raymond. “He’s swinging back and forth between drama and comedy, which is my favorite thing in life,” says the actor. Because if the former butcher has a big heart, he also has a vice: drinking. The three children’s project will allow him to come out of the shadows and see the light again. “He’s going to be kind of a grandfather figure. »