Although Jean-Philippe Dion never had the opportunity to meet Gaétan Girouard, he had boundless admiration for him and dreamed of following in his footsteps from a young age. The 25th anniversary of his death was therefore a concrete opportunity for him to honor his memory while doing useful work.
“For me it is a social duty to talk about mental health. To successfully reach a large audience, you need to talk about a well-known story. And Gaétan’s family were extremely generous in sharing his story and said it would be worth it if it could save a life,” he says.
Watch the trailer here.
For 60 minutes, Gaétan Girouard: Shockwave traces his beginnings at the age of 16 on Granby radio, looks back at the highlights of his career on television, paints the portrait of the hypersensitive man behind the image of a bulldozer, modestly conjures up tragic events and recounts one broad voice for the people around him.
We discover in them an ultra-perfectionist nature, intense, insecure, striving to excel in everything. But above all, someone who, despite the presence of a loving family and sincere friends, carried a deep unease within him, which was exacerbated by an unsustainable work pace and the severity of the legal proceedings against his show JE
On this occasion, his widow Natalie Préfontaine agreed to speak about “the man of her life”. She also wanted to pass on, for the first time, entire boxes full of souvenirs to her two daughters, Justine and Marie-Claude, who were very young at the time of their father's death.
“Something sweet”
The idea of marking the 25th anniversary of her former lover's death had crossed Ms. Préfontaine's mind last year, but nothing more. Then one day Jean-Philippe Dion contacted her. They talked for several hours at a cafe in Granby.
“We had a great connection, him and I. We agreed to do something simple, gentle, non-sensational and, most importantly, useful. I didn't hesitate at all, first for myself, for him and for my daughters. “This is the best Christmas present for her,” says Ms. Préfontaine, who was able to watch the first images of the documentary before anyone else at home with her clan. The result convinced them of the relevance of the project.
Devastating effect
His former colleagues Pierre Bruneau, Alain Gravel, Jean-Pierre Jodoin and Jocelyne Cazin are also testifying, as is Félix Séguin, the current host of the JE program who made Gaétan Girouard famous in Quebec. Ms. Cazin, who became her best friend over the years, claims to have experienced this loss like a sledgehammer from which it took years for her to recover.
The same was true for his best friend, the Granbyian Gilles Dion, who had known Gaétan since his youth. The two men could speak to each other up to three times a day. They were inseparable until the end. “He was a brother to me. I never really got over his departure. He was part of my life and my balance. It's a never-ending friendship…” slips the one who knew Gaétan's insecurities and psychological problems well. However, he never managed to address the issue directly.
As proof of this, a few days before his death, the journalist, suffering from severe depression, managed to pretend that nothing had happened and could not bear to kneel on the floor. A giant with feet of clay, as Jocelyne Cazin rightly remembers, who to this day regrets the lack of communication that surrounded her accomplice's suffering.
To talk about it or not?
During the press screening in December in the presence of his relatives and former colleagues, deep silence followed the final images of the documentary. Jean-Philippe Dion emotionally supported Ms. Cazin in deploring the fact that the professional secrecy of nursing staff still prevents the dissemination of important information in the immediate environment of people in psychological distress.
He also discussed the role of the media in the context of suicide and its impact. We know that in the months following the death of Gaétan Girouard, the number of suicides in Quebec increased significantly. In short: should we talk about it or not?
In an interview in the following minutes, Jean-Philippe Dion reiterated that he had taken the risk of broadcasting this documentary after ensuring, through consultation with prevention workers, that he had put in place “all possible safety nets”. He consciously chose to obscure the details of the sad event and emphasized the negative impact of his death on those who loved him.
“This man had an incredible love rating,” he notes, admitting that he fell in love the first time he saw the show. “I exploded at home.”
As a workaholic, Jean-Philippe admits that he recognizes himself in Gaétan Girouard. “Let’s just say I had an autumn of reflection. Filming the 12 episodes of “True Nature” and this documentary, which were made during my days off, was a huge emotional burden for me. I'm burnt out, but I'm lucky to be surrounded as well as Gaétan and I can set my limits. This kind of work makes me feel useful. I find it difficult, but I feel like I’m making a small contribution to society.”
Gaétan Girouard: Shock Wave was produced by Productions Déferlantes in collaboration with Quebecor Content and directed by Maude Sabbagh.
It airs January 11 at 9 p.m. on TVA and TVA+ and Friday, January 19 at 8 p.m. on LCN.
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