After offering us the television successes Mémoires vives and Une autre histoire in particular, the author Chantal Cadieux is back with a novelty which does not lack interest. With Mea Culpa, the author is interested in the process of restorative justice, which is still relatively unknown, through a story where mysteries and secrets intertwine. Leading the way, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin shines once again in a role filled with compassion, a character who will lead us to make our own reflections on forgiveness. We can already predict that this novelty will be particularly popular…
There you will meet Bérénice, a woman who supports people who are victims of criminal acts or who have committed them, to encourage dialogue between them and repair the harm caused, with the ultimate goal of turning the page. However, Bérénice carries with her a tragic story, the death of one of her best friends, 25 years earlier, after a brutal attack during an end-of-year college party. While the murderer is released, after having served 23 years of his sentence, Bérénice and her friends will be plunged back into their torments and will all react in different ways. Between hatred and forgiveness, there is a whole path… Will they succeed in accepting what happened 25 years earlier?
These are the bases of this intriguing novelty, in which you will quickly be led to question your own values regarding forgiveness. How would you react if the murderer of a loved one tried to reconnect with you, several years after his crime? One thing is certain, it will be easy to question Bérénice’s approach, who has chosen to move forward without judgment towards acceptance, even forgiveness, towards her friends who know nothing about her approach.
In this context, the author Chantal Cadieux offers us another maelstrom of emotions, where women take a very important place. True to herself, the screenwriter gives a face and a voice to women, who can allow themselves to experience all the emotions with the greatest abandon. Behind the camera, director Miryam Bouchard works to magnify the strength and talent of the actresses in front of the camera, often using close-ups.
As for the cast, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin continues to fascinate with her inexhaustible candor, which is often expressed with a single look. His character, although imperfect, will be unanimous. At his side, we find Jessica Barker, who returns to the small screen 5 years later Unit 9in a particularly touching role of caregiver. His main acting partner, Dany Boudreault, did not have an easy task in landing the role of a quadriplegic man, also a victim of the tragedy that took place 25 years earlier. He finds the right tone and is particularly credible. Same thing for Maxim Gaudette who moves away from his sympathetic character in 5e rang to play a repentant murderer, who tries to rebuild his life. Can a man who committed such a crime really make amends? Around these will gravitate several other artists, including Cynthia Wu-Maheux, Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Sacha Charles, Ralph Prosper, Blaise Tardif, Margot Blondin and a whole young cast responsible for illustrating the events of the past.
From the first episode of Mea Culpa, you will be intrigued by all the secrets that teem beneath the surface. Between the story of this terrible friendly drama, an unsolicited reunion 25 years later with the murderer and fascinating cases of mediation, including that of a pedophile father who wishes to reconnect with his daughter after having undergone therapy, viewers will have something to cook about in front of their small screen this winter. We bet there will be many of them there!
Mea Culpa, to be seen starting this Tuesday, January 7 at 8 p.m. on -.
See our photos from the launch, in the presence of all the artists, below.
