Gabrielle opens this year’s Powell River Film Festival at 8 pm on Wednesday, February 12.
It is a choice made perfect by presenting a story wrapped around individuals in a choir, and the festival’s opening gala at which One Voices choir, directed by Julia Adam, will perform. One Voices is a member of the Ubuntu Choirs Network which is committed to building community through song and the joy of being together.
Gabrielle is the story of a young woman with an intellectual disability who falls in love with Martin, a member of her choir. Filmed in Montreal, it has echoes of Romeo and Juliet (though unlike a Shakespearean tragedy, bodies do not litter the stage at the end).
The director, Louise Archambault, learned about Les Muses—a Montreal performing arts school for people with disabilities—and it was here she met Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, the star of the show. Gabrielle has Williams syndrome, a genetic condition that causes moderate intellectual impairment (making independent living impossible), a highly sociable personality and an affinity for music. In fact, Gabrielle has perfect pitch. Though there are professional actors in the film, there are also many people from Les Muses and they blend perfectly.
Gabrielle lives in a group home in Montreal, and her primary caregiver is her sister Sophie, who is torn between her commitment to Gabrielle and her longing to join her boyfriend in India where he is working for a non-government organization. This conflict forms the story together with the gentle love between Gabrielle and Martin which is thwarted by his worried mother Clare. Clare does not feel the couple are capable of an adult relationship.
The film contains much more to entertain audiences, such as the joyous choral singing providing a continuous thread of music which can’t help but lift the spirits. The film’s finale includes an appearance by Quebecois rock icon Robert Charlebois, who sings with the choir at an outdoor concert. Many so called “uplifting” films are sentimental and not very intelligent. Gabrielle, on the other hand, offers a window of understanding on the life of people with mental disabilities, which turns out to be not all that different from everyone else.
The lineup for Friday, February 14, has changed. When screeners Jan Padgett and Margaret Gardiner saw Fanie Fourie’s Lobola at Vancouver International Film Festival they turned to each other and said: “that’s our Valentine’s film.” But when Padgett tried to secure it through the South African distributor, no deals had been signed for North America. Now, the film has finally been made available and will replace Le Weekend in a pre-theatrical release.
The film is a feast for emotion with an inspiring post-apartheid South African romance. The plot twists and turns, full of surprises and audiences will not be sure of the outcome until it is all over.
The festival continues until Sunday, February 16. Individual tickets are now on sale online, at Breakwater Books, Creative Rift, and the Patricia. All festival-goers must purchase a $5 membership this year. This small fee is in tune with all other film festivals, and means that unrated films can be shown, saving the committee both time and money. The special Valentine’s dinner and film package is being presented by the Future Chef’s Cafe at Brooks Secondary School on February 14. To book a table, readers can contact Lori at 604.483.7967. For more information on the festival, including the 5-Minute Film contest by students, the student Film Camp, the two galas, and all the dramas and documentaries, readers can visit online.
