A FILM BY JULIE HIVON
FUNFILM DISTRIBUTION PRESENTS A FILMS 53/12 PRODUCTION WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? A FILM WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY JULIE HIVON WITH SOPHIE DESMARAIS MAXIME DUMONTIER CHARLES-ALEXANDRE DUBÉ JOËLLE PARÉ-BEAULIEU FRÉDÉRIC MILLAIRE ZOUVI AND GUYLAINE TREMBLAY RUN TIME 97 MINUTES PRODUCTION FILMS 53/12 2205, RUE PARTHENAIS #311 MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, H2K 3T3, CANADA T +1 514 508 5312 F +1 514 507 9812 WWW.FILMS53-12.COM INFO@FILMS53-12.COM DISTRIBUTION AND INTERNATIONAL SALES FUNFILM DISTRIBUTION 1055, BOUL. RENÉ-LÉVESQUE EST, #900 MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, H2L 4S5, CANADA T +1 514 272-4956 F +1 514 272-9741 FUNFILM.CA FUNFILM@CINEMAGINAIRE.COM PRESS IXION COMMUNICATIONS JUDITH DUBEAU AND HENRY WELSH 190A, AV. DE L ÉPÉE MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC, H2V 3T2, CANADA T +1 514 495-8176 JUDITH.DUBEAU@ IXIONCOMMUNICATIONS.COM FACEBOOK.COM/QUESTCEQUONFAITICI
SYNOPSIS Long-time friends Yan, Simon, Roxanne, Maxime and his sister Lily are in their early 20s, the age when anything is possible. They are just embarking on their careers. Then one fine summer day, Yan is involved in a fatal car accident. The young man is killed instantly. The rest of the gang is thrown into turmoil. Maxime refuses to accept that his best friend is gone. He goes off the deep end and starts getting into trouble. Roxanne, in denial of her true feelings for Maxime, does an about-face and starts sleeping around, while Simon, a die-hard romantic, tries in vain to get back together with a lost love. And Lily? With Yan by her side, she could live day to day while figuring out what to do with her life. He was her happiness, but with him gone She suddenly feels the need to build something more solid. So she decides to set things in motion. Lily says yes. Four friends buffeted from all sides. All four of them somewhat lost, trying to get their bearings, to find a deep meaning to give to their existence. All four of them together. A summer when everything changes dramatically, when the poles reverse for a brief moment. Friends who lose each other and then find each other again. Death, friendship, love - life, in other words. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? 4
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NOTES What are we doing here? The question may seem banal, yet it s as important as they get. Why do we find ourselves in a situation where we re stuck in a role we ve created for ourselves without quite knowing why? Why don t we do what we want to do (like Lily)? Why do we agree to compromise our convictions to better fit in with business culture (like Maxime)? Why don t we love ourselves (like Roxanne)? Why don t we fall in love with the right person (like Simon)? Why do we find ourselves painted into a corner when the horizon is so vast (like many people)? I ve often looked around me, examined paths taken and wondered, How did that happen? But more than anything, Do I feel good about where I am? What would I change? And why not shake things up now? Then for just an instant I wanted to let my characters fall on their faces, make fools of themselves, mess up, because this is what scares us in life, often to the point of paralysis. It s a summer film set in my hometown, Granby, and it s full of music, freedom and light. There s a clown and a gorilla, and also a dam in the sunset I wanted this film to be like a hug, a smile in the Metro, a hello that warms your heart, a breath of fresh air, because there is still beauty in this harsh world. And at the core of the film, I go back to my favourite themes: unwavering friendship, the search for others and kinship. The story of What Are We Doing Here? is made up, but it s a highly personal film inspired by events that deeply affected me. Through these characters, I feel like I m reuniting with old friends. Through these places and situations, I m going back to my own youth. To me, the film is not about death, but about life. It s not about pain; it s about the happiness that comes afterward. It s not really a question, but it s my answer. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? 13
BIOGRAPHY OF JULIE HIVON FILMOGRAPHY 2014 WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? 2010 SILENCE LIES 2004 LÀ-BAS (SHORT) 2001 ICE CREAM, CHOCOLAT AND OTHERS CONSOLATIONS 1997 IN THE PARK WITH YOU (SHORT) 1994 BAISER D ENFANT (SHORT) Julie Hivon studied cinema at Université du Québec à Montréal. She went on to produce, write and direct two short films, Baiser d enfant and In the Park With You. Baiser d enfant won several awards, including at the Yorkton Film Festival (Canada) and Cinema Jove (Spain). In the Park With You was awarded a special critics mention at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. She then co-produced, wrote and directed her first feature film, Ice Cream, Chocolate and Other Consolations. The film won the audience choice award at the Festival du film francophone in Moncton as well as the best film award at the Turin Women s Film Festival. Julie Hivon also produced and directed her second feature film, Silence Lies, which won two awards (audience choice and innovation) at the Montreal World Film Festival in 2010. She also works in television. She directed several episodes of the serial drama Providence, took part in the series Chambre 13 and is a writer for the series Toute la vérité and O. Alongside her TV and film work, Julie has also written a novel, Ce qu il en reste (published by XYZ éditeur), winner of the Jacqueline-Déry-Mochon Award, several plays for young audiences as well as some literary short stories, including Ballade pour une fin de millénaire, which won Voir weekly s shortstory contest. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? 14
CREDITS CAST LILY SOPHIE DESMARAIS MAX MAXIME DUMONTIER ROXANNE JOËLLE PARÉ-BEAULIEU SIMON CHARLES-ALEXANDRE DUBÉ YAN FRÉDÉRIC MILLAIRE ZOUVI NICOLE GUYLAINE TREMBLAY WRITER AND DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR COSTUME DESIGNER CASTING EDITOR MUSICAL DIRECTOR AND ORIGINAL SCORE SOUND PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCERS JULIE HIVON CLAUDINE SAUVÉ GENEVIÈVE LIZOTTE JULIE-ANNE TREMBLAY CATHERINE DIDELOT NATALIE LAMOUREUX SERGE NAKAUCHI PELLETIER MARTYNE MORIN MARTIN ALLARD STÉPHANE BERGERON JASMYRH LEMOINE FRANÇOIS DELISLE MAXIME BERNARD TECHNICAL INFORMATION ORIGINAL TITLE QU EST-CE QU ON FAIT ICI? ENGLISH TITLE WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? SHOOTING FORMAT 4K PROJECTION FORMAT DCP RUN TIME 97 MINUTES ORIGINAL VERSION FRENCH SUBTITLES ENGLISH FRAME 2.35 : 1 COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION CANADA YEAR 2014 A FILM PRODUCED WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM: SODEC: SOCIÉTÉ DE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENTREPRISES CULTURELLES - QUÉBEC - / TELEFILM CANADA / REFUNDABLE TAX CREDIT FOR FILM OR TELEVISION PRODUCTION - SODEC - / HAROLD GREENBERG FUND / CANADIAN FILM OR TELEVISION TAX CREDIT PROGRAM / CBC/RADIO-CANADA / SUPER ÉCRAN
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