Relationship stories, Marie-Hélène Poirier no longer counts them. Content designer and producer at Duo Productions, which she helped develop If we loved each other since its beginnings in 2018. While she initially dealt with the digital aspect of various fictions as an author, it is human stories with which she knits If we loved each other (4 seasons) and If we still loved each other (2 seasons), 100% original formats – allowing participants to work on themselves – to which it is fully dedicated.
Louise Sigouin Photo provided by TVA
At the time of PourDo you already have an idea of the pairs that will be formed?
It’s a chance to be there from this stage onwards, which is both the most exciting and the most stressful. I see “potential”. As I conduct long interviews in which we talk about their emotional history, their failures, and their goals, I have a good idea of which people will choose each other. But sometimes I am thwarted. We work with people, so it’s more complex. It is multi-layered. I make plans, but they often get derailed. It doesn’t destabilize me. That’s the beauty of the format.
Louise [Sigouin] Do you look at what is filmed with the participants before you meet them?
Dominic Robert [réalisateur coordonnateur depuis la saison 1] and I’ll get in touch with Louise. She prefers to discover them the way she discovers her customers so as not to be biased. She develops a very close bond with the participants. There are things they didn’t want to share with me in an interview but would like to say to Louise. Sometimes it’s heavier, more difficult stories that they need his expertise for. A relationship of trust is created that leads to surprises. It’s positive. I make sure that there is an evolution of their story in the narrative. Let’s understand it well. It has always been clear to us that we will not disclose more confidential information if a participant feels that they have gone beyond trust. This is the case if it is a partner who has not signed up for the show and whose experience is protected.
Have you noticed over the course of the seasons that there are other crucial phases in the relationship between those involved?
The format has adapted over the seasons. The phases remain the same: dating, courtship, meeting relatives or friends, living together and traveling. We don’t force anything. Previously, we asked participants not to see each other between filming to avoid burning any content. We are more flexible because we recognized that it could have a positive effect. They see each other three times a week for ten weeks. That’s a lot of hours in the whirlwind of her life. Feelings can develop very quickly. The cohabitation phase is very informative, but not mandatory. We were in reward mode beforehand for the trip. But we see that here is the decisive factor.
Emily [Bégin] and William [Lemay-Thivierge] Have access to the same equipment as us?
Yes, they watch the episodes in real time. Her reactions are 100% natural. This is a cool part of my job. In three-way conversations, I provide them with information and additional content. The beauty of this concept is that we are talking about all of us. There are many ingredients that arouse emotions. We cannot remain indifferent to the honorable progress of the participants.
There was travel this week. What can we expect?
Marie-Josée and Julien have had an eventful journey. Julien is tense and Marie-Josée could have been calmer, but they were able to talk about it and came back in a good mood. Sylvain and Frédérique live a great story. Given Sylvain’s mood swings, we could have doubted this. These are the ones who make the best trip to Napa Valley. Julie and Luc have made a 180 degree turnaround. The rest is compromised. Sam and Mélody have decided to leave as friends, but we sense that they are upset. Despite respect, there is exhaustion. We are not under pressure to form pairs, but this year we have a good average. And for the first time we will have a special week [4 au 7 décembre] where the participants view and review their scenes and their journey themselves. This happens three months after the end of the experiment. It’s a way to fix some things.
♦ When we loved each other Monday to Thursday 7:30 p.m. on TVA.