From books to the big screen: here are five Quebec novels that will soon be adapted for cinema

Quebec filmmakers are increasingly drawing on our literature to gain inspiration for their next film subjects. Of Qimmik has A thousand secrets, a thousand dangershere are five adaptations of novels currently in preparation.

Qimmik

Admitting to having been “upset” by this shocking novel by author Michel Jean, director and musician Anik Jean (My mother’s men) announced last November that it was working on a film adaptation of the book published a few weeks earlier. Qimmik – which means “dog” in Inuktitut – lifts the veil on a little-known tragedy, the sled dog killings suffered by isolated communities in Quebec’s far north in the 1960s. The film should be shot by two years, said Anik Jean.

A thousand secrets, a thousand dangers

After directing the first season of the series Raspberry time and the documentary series Lac-Mégantic: this is not an accidentthe filmmaker Philippe Falardeau (Mr. Lazhar) returns to the cinema by bringing to the screen the autobiographical novel by Alain Farah which has attracted thousands of readers since its publication in the fall of 2021. The film recently received the green light from SODEC and should therefore be shot shortly.

The version that interests no one

Critically acclaimed and awarded the Collegians Literary Prize last month, the powerful first novel by author Emmanuelle Pierrot quickly aroused the interest of producers and filmmakers. It is finally the director Myriam Verreault (Kuessipan) who was chosen to adapt for the big screen this autobiographical story recounting the journey of a young marginalized woman who goes to live in the Yukon with her best friend.

Fanny Cloutier

For his third feature film, director Yan England (1:54, Sam) chose to bring the series of children’s novels to the screen Fanny Cloutier, written by singer and author Stéphanie Lapointe. The film will tell the story of Fanny, a 15-year-old teenager who tries to understand the circumstances surrounding the death of her mother.

How to become a monster

After bringing the successful novel to the screen Ru by Kim Thuy, filmmaker Charles-Olivier Michaud tackles the adaptation of How to become a monster, a novel by Jean Barbe published 20 years ago. The film, written by Simon Lavoie (Norbourg), will relate the journey of a Quebec lawyer who left for a Balkan country to defend a war criminal who persists in remaining silent. He will realize on the spot that the trial awaiting his client is manipulated by those in power.