After having enjoyed great success in Quebec theaters, the film Ru attracts audiences abroad.
Author Kim Thúy was herself able to see the enthusiasm of film buffs outside the province when she recently presented the film adaptation of her book at events in Madrid, Lisbon, London and Dublin.
“I didn’t expect this at all,” says the popular writer in an interview, still moved and amazed by the warm reception received by the film in the cities where it was screened.
“In my eyes, Ru is an independent film that was made [par Charles-Olivier Michaud] with great artistic freedom. I didn’t think it could reach such a wide audience. I am the luckiest woman in the world!”
Over the past few weeks, Ru has been presented at events and festivals in Madrid, Lisbon, London, Dublin, Dieppe, Vancouver and Chicago, among others.
Kim Thúy, who accompanied the film in several screenings in Europe, has unforgettable memories of his meetings with the public on the other side of the Atlantic.
“After the screening in Lisbon, the spectators were so moved that they were not able to finish their sentences when asking me questions because they were talking,” she confides.
“I thought that the film would only reach audiences here because it is a story very anchored in Quebec. But I realize that it’s ultimately very universal.”
“What touches me a lot is that I realize that the film has become useful for opening conversations on a difficult subject [l’immigration], she continues. When people come to me to tell me that they no longer see their lives in the same way after seeing the film, I find it extraordinary. In Lisbon, a young woman of Moldovan origin who arrived in Portugal at the age of 4 told me that the film allowed her to discover her roots for the first time. She was so moved…”
A screening at Rideau Hall
Between two trips to Europe, Kim Thúy made a detour to Ottawa in mid-March to attend a screening of the film at Rideau Hall, in the presence of the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon.
“There were stars in the room! relates the author. It was the actor Colm Feore who presented Ru in French. Filmmaker Atom Egoyan was also present. We were pampered!”
After being presented in Quebec theaters for around twenty weeks between November and February, Ru will return to theaters on Wednesday evening in around thirty cinemas in Quebec, as part of Canadian Cinema Day. Around fifty free tickets were offered for each of the participating cinemas.
“There are a lot of people who have told me that they weren’t able to see the film while it was in theaters. There, they have one last chance to see it on the big screen. We are very spoiled to be able to do another lap of the track indoors. As I said earlier, I am the luckiest woman in the world!”, she concludes with a laugh.
