With his Tales for All, Rock Demers positively influenced the lives of an entire generation of Quebecers, including the career of Vincent Bolduc, the actor who has starred most – four times – in the films of this mythical youth series.
Vincent made his debut in 1990 in Jean Beaudry’s Pas de répit pour Mélanie, then we made an exception for him by hiring him again in 1992 for the same director’s Tirelire, Combine$ et cie, while Rock Demers didn’t want children make stars in his films by giving them more than one role.
As an adult, Vincent did so in La gang des hors-la-loi, still directed by Jean Beaudry, and is part of the new generation of stories for all now carried by Dominic James, who acquired Les Productions La Fête by Rock Demers to produce new feature films for the next generation. So Vincent is in Coco Ferme, which opened in cinemas during Spring Break and arrives at Club Illico this Thursday.
In the documentary Once Upon a Time… Stories for Everyone, available Tuesday on Vrai, Vincent speaks about his admiration for Rock Demers, who passed away on August 17, 2021, and feels heir to him on a human and professional level. The documentary describes the development of Tales for All, from “La guerre des tuques” to “Coco Ferme”, and also focuses on the rich career of its architect and conductor.
It is somewhat thanks to Mr. Demers that more than 30 years later Vincent is pursuing a fruitful career as a communicator, actor, screenwriter, screenwriter, columnist, etc. Les Contes pour tous “modeled” his way of working, as he puts it, like principles, which “were not revealed by Rock Demers, but lived, felt and put into practice. It became natural for those who worked with him to show goodwill to young people,” he told the QMI Agency.
“My first audition for ‘Pas de réspit pour Mélanie’ – I found out recently – I wasn’t good, I wasn’t up to the task, but Rock Demers insisted I come back for the audition and I got the part. It’s a very powerful gesture from Rock that changed things for me. His persistence has guided my path,” Vincent said in an interview with agency QMI. This first film gave him experience to then do “Caleb’s Girls”.
Vincent traveled with Rock Demers on the sets, to festivals with him and later even worked for him as a screenwriter. Vincent says he “cared about his creators” and had “clear beliefs.”
Vincent keeps the spirit of Tales for All alive in his personal and professional life. “I’ve always held youth projects on my lap, whether as an actor or as a writer. I stay in touch with young people who are at the forefront of tomorrow’s issues.”
All Tales ingredients for everything in Coco Ferme
Despite his lightning-fast appearance in Coco Ferme, Vincent Bolduc is excited about this film, which revives Tales for All. “At first I was afraid of Tales for All becoming a ‘brand’, but I was delighted on set and watching it. It’s all there: benevolence, the presence of animals, the child’s hero carrying the quest, intelligent adults, values, conjuring up children’s faces that life is not always easy, but worth living. Here is everything!”
Several personalities also appear in the documentary produced by Attraction and directed by Jean-François Poisson, including actors Pierre-Luc Brillant, Roxane Gaudette-Loiseau, Macha Grenon, Fanny Lauzier, Marina Orsini and Mahée Paiement, and directors Jean Beaudry and Roger Cantin and Rock Demers’ son, Jean, was a set photographer on almost 20 Tales for All.