Myriam Verreault first became known through a very beautiful film about youth, West of Pluto. His intimate, nervous and authentic style also stands out Kuessipan, sensitive film adaptation of Naomi Fontaine’s book. On television, she co-directed the first four seasons of 5e rank. She directed with Ian Lagarde Witches, the new annual TVA series that follows the fate of three sisters who survived a cult and whose past is revived by the discovery of a baby in the forest. A mysterious, mystical series whose realism is delicately mixed with magic.
Myriam Verreault Photo provided by Julie Gauthier
What did you like and what did you want to take part in? Witches ?
The strength and boldness of the proposal. I had a lot of fun doing the annual series with 5th Rank, but I wanted to delve deeper into the miniseries. But the text captivated me. In Quebec we don’t often have the opportunity to explore magical realism. I also liked the idea of putting strong women in the spotlight. As the series progresses, we will see a sisterhood being formed. The three sisters are opposites and complement each other at the same time. We are in the country, in the suburbs, in the city. The texts by Germain Larochelle and Marie-Josée Ouellet are well put together. There is a third dimension with the mysterious, the spiritual, the unspoken.
The three main actresses Céline Bonnier, Marie-Joanne Boucher and Noémie O’Farrell are the initiators of the project. Did they also become consultants during filming?
They are very committed. We had a lot of discussions when brainstorming about how the cult influenced the characters. But the writers are the “masterminds” and the girls trust them completely. It is certain that when I film with them we talk and ask each other questions, always to improve their game. They are three brilliant girls who are committed to the success of the series.
Joe, Beth and Agnes are different. How did you proceed in each case?
Joe (Céline Bonnier) is the oldest. She was heavily influenced by her past in the cult. She is a journalist. She is in search of the truth and is aware of the toxic climate in which she has suffered. She isolated herself. The trauma is very present, she is often in her head, has difficulty being touched. When we were in the city, I worked a lot with the camera on my shoulder. The camera is more stable in city scenes.
Agnès (Noémie O’Farrell) has almost no memory of the cult. She is the one who mimics the guru side the most, even though she is trying to truly heal.
Beth (Marie-Joanne Boucher) has the “pattern” of the victim. She is in a relationship with someone who has ancestors through her. During the first assembly (editing) we convert the text into images. Then we warm up scenes again, sometimes mixing two, adding musicality and music.
Photo provided by Eva-Maude TC
How can you add a bit of mystique to a style while remaining mainstream and within the budgets of Quebec productions?
Witches remains a series with a cast of characters that we will discover. We are also involved in everyday intrigues. In fiction, you shouldn’t be afraid of pushing people away. On the contrary, they long for it. We see this in the success of platforms. We always move in the area of plausibility, of realism with moments of synchronicity. Valérie-Jeanne Mathieu, our artistic director, did an exceptional job. Several scenes go back in time. The team is fantastic. The editors, everyone. We have a cinema bill with the funds for an annual series. We find solutions. We shot in Beauharnois and not in Estrie. We managed to maintain the idyllic character, which is a little stuck in time. The town is located in Saint-Côme.
How is the series being received?
I’m not an anthropologist, but we have a history of cults in Quebec. The Order of the Sun Temple, the Raelians. It is fertile ground. Religion was very strong before the Quiet Revolution. There was a kind of drastic spiritual emptiness. As we researched witches to make sure it wasn’t too crazy, we realized we were “soft.” As long as this gap is not closed, there will be victims. This is an interesting topic in fiction.
► WitchesMondays at 8 p.m. on TVA