A true race against time, the Daigle versus Tremblay case brought to life by Alexis Durant-Brault in the series “Disobedience: Chantale Daigle’s Choiceis compelling and all the more compelling given the current socio-political context.
The image in the credits of the bird escaping its cage like a canary at the bottom of the mine is strong and heralds the sequel. At almost 18 weeks pregnant, Chantale Daigle (Éléonore Loiselle) has to leave Chibougamau to have an abortion in Sherbrooke, but her ex Jean-Guy Tremblay (Antoine Pilon), a jealous, manipulative creature with flawed personality, manages to get a court order , to prevent this.
1988, the year of the honeymoon in which Chantale fell in love with the handsome Jean-Guy, and in December 1989, the miniseries unfolds in six episodes of one hour at a good pace through skillful back and forth and is notable for its solidity distribution and the quality of its implementation. Alexis Durand-Brault shows great sensitivity to the subject and manages to brilliantly recreate the era without becoming cheesy. Éléonore Loiselle offers a high-level performance, while Antoine Pilon manages to bring a humanity and color to Jean-Guy Tremblay that is very interesting to watch.
The attention paid to facts and details is remarkable, be it in the sets, costumes and hairstyles, or in the verve, the expressions and the references of the time, particularly to Lady Di, Samantha Fox or Radio Shack. Also, Daniel Thibault and Isabelle Pelletier, who signed the texts, had a lot of material to draw on: files, archives, numerous interviews given by the main players in the affair, as well as the books they each wrote to share their version of the facts.
In the summer of 1989, what everyone assumed was a couple’s fight in the public square turned into a much deeper fight: the 21-year-old defending the sovereignty of her body. She will unknowingly change the course of history, Canadian justice and women’s rights.
Little prepared for this storm, Chantale can happily count on the community of activists to join her on her journey and the undoubted support of her family. The Daigle clan is united, united and devoted to the “Chip”. Mario (Alex Bergeron), Michel (Joakim Robillard) and Marjolaine (Juliette Gosselin), her brothers and sisters, understand that her relationship with Jean-Guy is unhealthy and support her in her decision to end it.
The inexperienced Me Bédard (Éric Robidoux), a Val-d’Or-based legal aid lawyer, will gain his client’s full trust despite repeated failures. He will defend her against renowned Montreal lawyers played by Patrick Hivon and Jean-François Pichette.
“It’s not just a woman’s story, and this ‘show’ isn’t just for women, it’s for people, it’s for human freedom,” director Alexis Durant-Brault argued in Tuesday’s press review, emphasizing “the failure by the Quebec Judiciary on three occasions and the instrumentalization of Jean-Guy Tremblay” to further pro-lifers’ arguments.
“Chantale Daigle has never been in the spotlight. She did what she had to do and then returned to her country. We never heard of it again in the media,” recalled producer Sophie Laurin, insisting on the character’s noble side.
After this high-profile affair, she began a new life, had four children, and would live under a new identity. The producer would also have received her approval for the series through activists who have remained in contact with her.
Episodes of “Disobeir: Chantale Daigle’s Choice” will be released drop by drop on Crave, one per week. The first episode has been available since Wednesday.
The series also stars Sylvie Dubé and Denis Trudel, Rachel Gratton, Julie Trépanier, Andréanne Théberge, Émilie Bibeau and Marie-Claude St-Laurent.
“Chantale Daigle’s Choice” at Series Mania
“Disobeir: Chantale Daigle’s choice” has been selected for the major international festival Series Mania, dedicated to TV series from all over the world. This is the only Quebec fiction selected to be part of this year’s International Panorama section.
“The Chantale-Daigle Affair,” told by real people
In a few weeks, Crave will offer the documentary “The Chantale Daigle affair” carried by the journalist Noémi Mercier.
In particular, the documentary will reveal never-before-seen moments in Chantale Daigle’s race against time through numerous archive images and interviews with the real people drawn to this story; the core of the women who formed around Chantale Daigle, the activists who helped her get an abortion, a Supreme Court Justice, and the lawyers and doctors who were directly or indirectly involved.
The Chantale-Daigle Affair: The Documentary, directed by Gaëlle D’Ynglemare, who had the original idea for the fiction, will be available concurrently with the final installment of the series.