In his piece The packagePresented on the stages of La Licorne in 2018, Catherine-Anne Toupin addressed the theme of pervasive violence in our society in a raw and impactful way. Six years later, as the film adaptation of her play prepares for release, the actress and playwright is dismayed to realize that this issue is even more relevant than ever.
“In the beginning, when I started writing the script for the film [adapté de la pièce]I assumed it would be obsolete by the time it came out. Well, not everyone after all! says Catherine-Anne Toupin in an interview with the Journal.
“Unfortunately, with the pandemic, this loss of control over discourse, this aggressive environment and this lack of respect for others are even more present than before. It's like a spiral from which we can no longer escape. We have lost the idea of the sensitivity of others and what it means to have a real person in front of us. Our humanity is falling apart more and more. That's what the film is about…”
In the form of a psychological thriller, the film – which was renamed “Lucy Grizzli Sophie” due to its film adaptation – tells the story of Sophie (Catherine-Anne Toupin), a woman who was traumatized and hunted for unknown reasons. To escape reality, she drives all night to end up at a “bed and breakfast” hundreds of miles from home, where she is greeted by Martin (Guillaume Cyr) and his aunt Louise (Lise Roy). .
To avoid spoilers, we'll spare you the (many) twists and turns that will follow…
Sphere Films
The influence of cinema
The day after the premiere of her hit play La meute in 2018, Catherine-Anne Toupin received calls from producers and filmmakers interested in adapting her work for the big screen.
“It surprised me,” she admits. I didn't expect that at all. I know my playwriting is very cinematic because cinema is my first influence. When I was 8 years old, I didn't go to the theater. Mostly I watched Spielberg films and Hitchcock films with my grandmother. I was surprised that there was so much interest in my piece. But ultimately it is a thriller and a revenge story. It always pays off in the cinema!”
Catherine-Anne Toupin says she met more than a dozen filmmakers before choosing director Anne Émond (Nelly, Jeune Juliette) to help her bring this story to the screen.
“Something special happened to Anne,” she explains. We had a connection, a meeting. My instinct immediately told me it was her. I wrote the first version of the script alone, but she accompanied me afterwards by providing me with images, things that inspired her and ideas for filming. I used that so that the film was ultimately my story, but also his film.”
Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
It's difficult to talk about the themes explored in Lucy Grizzli Sophie without giving away too much information about the plot. Let's just say the film deals with revenge and the vicious cycle of violence from a female perspective. Catherine-Anne Toupin asks this fundamental question: Should we respond to violence with violence?
“But it’s not a moralizing film,” explains the 48-year-old actress and screenwriter. I don't tell people what to think. I just want them to talk about it. For me this is the solution to come back [à des comportements] more respectful and humane. I think that's what art is for. It won’t change the world, but it can open a dialogue.”
- The film Lucy Grizzli Sophie will be presented at the opening of Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma on February 21 and will be shown across Quebec two days later.