Festival Select: Les Ordres (Michel Brault, 1974)

Join the Society and Recreation department of the North York Central Library in Rm. 101 for monthly screenings of fiction and non-fiction films that push the boundaries of the medium. This month's film is Michel Brault's Les Ordres (1974).

Synopsis (Canadian International Pictures/Vinegar Syndrome): Following the shocking kidnapping of two prominent political figures in October 1970, Canada’s federal government invokes the War Measures Act, an extreme law that strips citizens of their most fundamental human rights. Over the course of several weeks, 450 unsuspecting Québécois are abruptly ripped from their families and imprisoned without formal charges or explanations. Told through the eyes of five prisoners subjected to abuse and humiliation that borders on torture, Orders is an unsettling and unforgettable immersion in one of the most dystopian chapters in Canadian history.

The sophomore narrative feature from master cinematographer and filmmaker Michel Brault (a formative influence on director Denis Villeneuve), this unflinching Pr*son drama explores the most egregious injustices perpetrated during the historic October Crisis. Drawn from extensive testimonials and told in the cinéma direct language Brault helped pioneer, Orders is a masterpiece of Québécois cinema that delivers a vision no less infuriating and impactful half a century after it won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival.

Host or Publisher At Toronto Public Library by Parks Canada/Rouge National Urban Park