LAC MEGANTIC | Moved, outraged and electrified after watching Tuesday night’s premiere of two episodes of Philippe Falardeau’s documentary series on the rail tragedy that killed 47 people in 2013, residents of Lac-Mégantic dare to believe this work is making a difference becomes.
• Also read: “It’s the most important screening”: Philippe Falardeau is delighted to present his documentary to the people of Lac-Mégantic
“We will continue the fight,” promised the spokesman for the citizens’ coalition for railway safety in Mégantic, Robert Bellefleur, himself a participant in the Lac Mégantic series: This is no coincidence, after a visit to Polyvalente Montignac.
“It’s very powerful because, along with the fact that people from Lac-Mégantic are supposedly resilient, they’re also tenacious. They want an independent public inquiry, they want the truth, they want most of all that one day those responsible be identified.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Robert Bellefleur
“It seems my anger is only growing,” said a viewer during a Q&A with Philippe Falardeau after the screening.
“Imagine if it jumps…”
Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny, whose book Mégantic: une tragedie announce served as the basis for Philippe Falardeau’s work, said that thanks to the documentary “something couldn’t happen, both to get justice and to prevent other Mégantics.”
Photo Cedric Belanger
Anne Marie Saint Cerny
“I have this feeling for the first time,” said the one who recalled that the situation in downtown Lac-Mégantic had not improved.
“Now 45 propane gas tanks pass here. Imagine if it jumps there is no more Mégantic.
Apartments
Others are not so optimistic. The mayor of the neighboring municipality of Frontenac, Gaby Gendron, is under no illusions.
“I don’t think much is changing, neither at Transport Canada nor at CP nor at CN. It’s sad to say, but it is.”
Photo Cedric Belanger
Gaby Gendron
Filmmaker Philippe Falardeau also thinks it is unlikely that a public inquiry will one day be launched. Nevertheless, he is pleased with the reaction of the Méganticois.
“I didn’t want to stoke the pain, but maybe maintain some anger or outrage. I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire and judging by the reaction in the room I think the mission is accomplished,” he confided.
Living Emotions
Just like two months ago when the Mégantic series was presented to the people of Lac-Mégantic, emotions ran high during and after the showing.
Isabelle Boulanger, who lost her son Frédéric Boutin on July 6, 2013, had her eyes in the water when she met the journalists. “It could be ten years soon, it still stirs emotions,” she shared.
Photo Cedric Belanger
Isabelle Bolanger
Even Philippe Falardeau was stunned when he saw his work on the big screen. “I’ve seen it 150 times because I did it. At some point you get a little numb. There, with the people here, I have to admit that it was difficult for me to watch certain scenes again.
- Lac-Mégantic: Ce n’est pas une accident will be screened in competition at the Canneseries festival next week, then at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto in late April.
- The series will be released on May 2nd on the Vrai platform.
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