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Louise Archambault

Louise Archambault

Directing

Biography

Louise Archambault, a key figure in Québécois cinema, merges neo-naturalism with classic storytelling, often spotlighting strong women challenging societal norms. Her acclaimed film "Gabrielle" (2013) earned her the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture and multiple Jutra Awards. Initially considering medical school, Archambault shifted to filmmaking, starting as a sound trainee on "Lance et compte" (1986–88). After honing skills at Concordia University, she worked in diverse roles, including as assistant director on Jean-Marc Vallée’s "Liste noire" (1995). Joining Roger Frappier’s Max Films in 1998, she contributed as a cinematographer for "2 secondes" (1998). Her debut short, "Atomic Saké" (1999), internationally recognized and awarded the Jutra Award for Best Short Film, preceded her impactful feature "Familia" (2005), lauded at TIFF with honours such as Best Canadian First Feature Film and the Claude Jutra Award. These successes established Archambault as a rising talent in Canadian cinema.

Known For

And the Birds Rained Down
7.1

A photographer sets off toward a mysterious forest to find Boychuk, witness and victim of the Great Fire that swept through Northern Ontario at the turn of the 20th century. But before she arrives, she learns that Boychuck has just perished. Survivors of the long-ago fire, Tom and Charlie, two elderly men who have chosen to live out their last days in the woods, are introduced to Marie Desneige, whose 60 year institutionalization has only fueled her passion for life. Meanwhile, the photographer is discovering that Boychuck had been a painter, whose life’s work had been entirely inspired by the Great Fire. The story immerses us in a historical drama while captivating us with the strange lives of these men of the forest. Three men who, in choosing freedom above all else, made a deal with death.

And the Birds Rained Down

2019Movie
The National Parks Project
4.0

In an increasingly urban nation, Canada’s national parks are a treasured escape into extraordinary beauty and rugged wilderness. If the Group of Seven were an introduction to the landscape’s majesty, National Parks Project is the next logical chapter. Fifty-two contemporary artists from across the country, whose talents are as diverse as the parks they set out to explore, used their surroundings as a source of inspiration to blend musical and cinematic skills into collaboratively crafted vignettes. Epic in its ambition to celebrate these locales during Parks Canada’s centennial year, this omnibus film resonates with the knowledge that our unprotected land is more vulnerable than ever. Including films by Zacharius Kunuk, Peter Lynch, Sturla Gunnarsson and John Walker, and music by Sarah Harmer, Sam Roberts, Cadence Weapon and The Besnard Lakes, among many others, National Parks Project is a one-of-a-kind documentary experience.

The National Parks Project

2011Movie