Nicolas Lachapelle
Directing
Biography
Nicolas Lachapelle is a journalist, filmmaker, and audio documentarian. His works, which explore the relationship to the land through the themes of exile, roots, and memory, have been presented at numerous festivals in Canada and internationally. In 2022, Nicolas received the award for best first documentary at the RVQC. He was recently nominated for best short documentary at the Gala Québec Cinéma and the Prix Écrans Canadiens. In the fall of 2024, Nicolas published his first book, La chasse interdite, with Éditions du Noroît.
Known For
In 1981, an unusual person arrives in Natashquan, marking the beginning of an unlikely love story between this small Quebec village and the young man they call “The Punk”. Five years later, he vanishes without a trace, forever impacting the community.
The Punk of Natashquan
At the age of eight, José shows us his village, Nutashkuan, and everything he loves there.
J'aime toute
A group of jilted souls have found refuge inside a forsaken neighbourhood scorched by brutal violence, fire and destruction. They try to build themselves a home but the memories of the place still walk among them.
What Remains After We're Gone
A mysterious hum brings the filmmaker to the industrial complex of Zug Island to find its source and discover the effect on the people who live nearby.
Zug Island
Made in collaboration with the Cree community of Waswanipi, this is an extraordinary documentary that is equal parts observational and poetic. Shot over a year, co-directors Nicolas Lachapelle and Ariel St-Louis Lamoureux follow a group of children through their daily life. A generous and human meditation on identity and place that's unfettered by an issue-driven hook or an imposed narrative, this is the rare sort of film that transcends categorization, becoming a beautiful work of art to behold.