My Internship in Canada

Philippe Falardeau

After studying Canadian politics at University of Ottawa and International relations at Laval University in Quebec City, Philippe Falardeau was chosen as a contestant for the 1993 edition of the television series La Course destination monde (a contest where the participants tour the world making short films). While there, he directed 20 films and ended up winning the race as well as the IDRC Award (International Development Research Center of Canada). In 1995, he collaborated with director Jacques Godbout to co-write Le Sort de l’Amérique, a documentary for the National Film Board of Canada. Two years later, he returned to the National Film Board to direct a medium length documentary about Chinese
immigration in Canada called Shepherd’s Pie (Pâté chinois). The film was presented at the Montreal World Film Festival and won Best Screenplay Award at the Yorkton Film Festival. In 2000, Philippe Falardeau directed his first theatrical feature film, The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge (La Moitié gauche du frigo). The film was a huge success in Canada and screened in numerous festivals around the world including Rotterdam, London, Paris, Seattle, Vancouver and Montreal. The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge won the Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genie Awards ceremony.

With Congorama, released in 2006, Philippe Falardeau offered us his second feature film, a
Canada-Belgium-France coproduction. Distributed theatrically in Quebec and in Europe, the film also distinguished itself at the numerous festivals where it was presented. After premiering at the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes, as the Closing Night Film, Congorama made its way to festivals in Munich, Namur, Toronto, New York (New Directors/New Films), Pusan and Göteborg. In addition to earning 5 Jutra Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction and Best Screenplay, the film also won Best Screenplay at the Genie Awards in
2007.

It’s Not Me, I Swear! (C’est pas moi, je le jure!), his third feature film, was adapted from a
Bruno Hébert novel. The world premiere of the film took place at the Toronto International
Film Festival in the Special Presentations category. At the Berlin International Film Festival,
the film screened in the Generation section and won the prestigious Chrystal Bear and Deutsche Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix Award. C’est pas moi, je le jure! also won the Grand
Prize Award of the Écrans Juniors section at the 2009 edition of the Cannes Film Festival. After over 60 invitations on the world festival circuit, the film was sold in about 40 countries. In Canada, the film won Best Canadian Film Award at the Atlantic Film Festival and at the Vancouver Film Critics Awards.

Monsieur Lazhar, his fourth feature film, is an adaptation of the stage play Bashir Lazhar by
Evelyne de la Chenelière. Produced by micro_scope, like all of his previous films, the film had its world premiere on the Piazza Grande at the Locarno International Film Festival, where it won the USB Public Award and the Variety Piazza Grande Award. Monsieur Lazhar also earned many awards including Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Audience Awards at the Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Sydney festivals. The film also screened at the Sundance Festival and the South by Southwest Festival. The film was nominated at the 84th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

His recent film, The Good Lie, was produced by Black Label Media, Imagine Entertainment
and Reliance Entertainment Production, and written by Margaret Nagle. Starring Reese Witherspoon, the film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before being released in theatres on October 2014. Finally, it also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Deauville Festival in France.

My Internship in Canada (Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre), his new project with micro_scope,
starring Patrick Huard and Suzanne Clément will have its world premiere at the Piazza Grande at the Locarno International Film Festival. The film will also hit theaters in Quebec
on October 2nd 2015.