Claire Wojas

A little girl and her mother, an old man and his wife, and three couples in search of equilibrium are weakened by a drama that then tightens their bond, making them stronger and closer through adversity.

A 12-year-old girl finds herself stranded on a lonely Caribbean island with a 20-year old retarded man in this sensitively rendered Canadian drama from Quebec. Emile and Cedrine are first seen during their rescue in which both are nearly in a coma. Their story of how they got there and survived is told via flashback. The two were the only survivors of a plane crash and at first Cedrine is terrified of Emile, thinking he might lose control and rape her. Fortunately, Emile is gentle and the two become friends, playmates, and eventually lovers in scenes that exploit neither character.

Saturday, 12 p.m. The countdown has begun for four men on the make for women. Massage studios, last minute shopping, bodybuilding; our men ardently throw themselves into the ritual of appearance. It is impossible to resist the ferociously burlesque and remarkably stereotypical behavior of these characters. We will meet Gérard known as The Bull, Patrice known as The Lion, Jean-Jacques known as The Peacock and Serge known as The Earthworm. All of this is set in the clubs and bars of late night Montréal.

When Remy, an ad consultant, falls in love with Sarah, the newest star of an ad campaign, sparks fly. The only problem is that they are both married. Sarah's husband knows she will eventually get tired of Remy while his wife just can't let go. At first she throws him out, begs him to come back, cheats on him, hates him, and finally slumps into the worse depression ever. It is amazing what love can do...

Fifteen years later, the heroes from Cruising Bar may hardly have changed but the world around them most certainly has! For the Bull, reality is brutal. His wife of 30 years, sick of his infidelity, decides to show him the door. But the Bull, who has a positive outlook on life, isn't so easily defeated and fights for his survival. The Lion too faces a break-up when his girlfriend leaves. All alone, he's force to relearn the art of seduction. The Peacock, on the other hand, is trying to figure out his sexual identity with the help of a psychologist. As for the Earthworm, his long wait for a soulmate will, at last, be requited.

On a wedding day, women are confined to the kitchen to prepare the meal while the men wait to be served. While men talk politics and sports, women talk about their condition. A teenager observes the gap between the sexes. Co-directed by two actresses, Paule Baillargeon and Frederique Collin, The Red Kitchen is the birth of the Quebec women's cinema. The birth of the film was difficult, and funding has been largely achieved through donations from friends and a benefit concert. This war of the sexes takes place in a demanding formal research, based on the improvisation of the actors, whose preparation took place over long sessions in the workshop. The end result mixes black humour, horror and a very expressive fantasy that gave rise to heated debates.

A paraplegic is determined to rebuild her life on her own.