India Desjardins learned on July 15 – her birthday – that SODEC is funding the script for her next film. Tracked. “I really got it as a nice gift,” says the writer behind the feature films Aurélie Laflamme’s diary And 23rd of December.
Note to fans of teenage stories from the prolific India Desjardins. Even if the title is reminiscent of horror stories, his fourth film will be more of a fantastic comedy for the whole family. His main character? We’ve got you covered: a teenage heroine! As for the screenplay, it is an original work, not taken from any of his novels.
Teenage Stories at Heart
“I have muses in mind, unfortunately it’s not me who is making the film, so I’ll have to leave the choice of the leading actress to the director,” explains the mother of the cult character Aurélie Laflamme.
“What I can say is that I really love this story, it’s very much alive in me. In fact, it’s my only topic of conversation [rires]. I see it in my head from the start, in pictures, like in a movie.
This idea that she is pursuing – exactly! – allows the 47-year-old designer to let her imagination run wild without constraints. During “23. December”, her most recent feature film, was a one-day choral film with all the math that goes with it, films starring Aurélie Laflamme came with a certain pressure not to disappoint readers of the novels.
“I just have fun here,” throws out the one who admits to having already achieved a lot. I like making family films. It looks like me.
India Desjardins also confirms that it “won’t take ten years” for this film to see the light of day, like December 23 did. It’s because that last feature film had many periods of doubt and some good fights.
The one who will publish a short story for teens in Quebec America called “My Dad’s Wedding This Fall” says she “still has a few teenage stories in her heart.”
Photo archives, Chantal Poirier
Privileged connection with the public
It is his privileged relationship with the audience that gives India Desjardins the strength it takes to keep making films.
“It’s formed a strong bond that makes me feel good,” she said. The response from the audience on December 23rd was so great. People everywhere tell me they liked the film. The response from the public always gives me a good impetus.”
She was also fascinated by face-to-face meetings with the general public and in cinemas during the December 23 release. “Cinema really allows for a human experience with the audience,” she adds.
Aurélie Laflamme’s two films (Le journal d’Aurélie Laflamme (2010) and Aurélie Laflamme: les pieds sur terre (2015), adaptations of her novels) grossed $1.2 million and $700,000 at the box office, respectively . As for December 23, it became the highest-grossing Quebec film in January 2023 (since July 2019, after the comedy “Liar”) with cumulative grossing of $2,112,145 across Canada.
Haunted is produced by Guillaume Lespérance and the Immina film crew behind the film 23. December” stands.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
– SODEC has also given the green light to fund the project‘Writing of 23 productions (15 films and 8 documentaries), including the first film by Florence Longpré (letter from a stranger) and the third movie In a galaxy near you.