Marie-Christine Bergeron has been on-call for a year with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) dive team for her new documentary series, Police-divers, which premieres Tuesday on Vrai.
The former TVA journalist, now a news anchor at Noovo, met this troupe by chance while they were filming another documentary project on the water. They discussed their daily lives, asked questions about their practices, and then the idea of breaking into this field came to them.
“From that moment I started thinking, ‘Okay, but I really want to follow them,'” she told QMI Agency.
Photo courtesy of True
“This is the first time a film crew has followed them since the entity was formed in the mid-1970s,” said the journalist, stressing that she is entitled to carte blanche but also privileged access for the production of this documentary series.
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For a year, Marie-Christine Bergeron accompanied the Sûreté du Québec police diver squad – of which there are only six in Quebec – through different situations and temperatures.
“Every time they had a call, they’d call me and we’d move. I was on call for a year,” she explained with a laugh, adding that the shoots were “very special” due to the unpredictability and the abundance of calls, especially in the summer.
“I was also struck by their determination to find something. When a 16-year-old girl was reported missing after falling down rapids, they walked the rapids from 6 a.m. until dusk with little or no rest. Physically it’s unbelievable,” she was surprised.
Photo courtesy of True
In particular, divers have to deal with the vagaries of the weather, summer and winter, but also with navigating and adapting to each watercourse, the currents, the sometimes lack of visibility and the imposing depths. The series, which gives an important place to nature, underwater imagery and intimacy, also sheds light on the techniques and tools used by the SQ’s highly specialized squad.
“The guys were really involved, even if not everyone felt comfortable being in front of the camera and giving interviews, but in the end it was a gem. They are exceptional,” said the journalist and presenter.
Photo courtesy of True
Jérôme Hof is in charge of the photographic direction of this series, available in eight episodes, while Marie-Christine Bergeron is in charge of directing. She is currently filming a new documentary, details of which will be announced soon.
Photo courtesy of True
“Police Divers” will be available on Vrai starting Tuesday.