Finissant(e)s

In the small Québécois town of Dégelis, the graduates of ’09 spend their last summer vacation before going off to face the reality of adulthood. Not only do they have to come to terms with an unknown future and say many farewells, but they also have to work through all the sorrow that surrounds them. It’s the summer of 2009. The latest film by Québécois filmmaker Rafaël Ouellet – who is well known to Karlovy Vary’s audiences – reconfirms his ability to touch upon the essence of things and the hidden emotions associated with watershed moments in people’s lives. The picture is stylized as an amateur film that the students are shooting about themselves – an approach that adds to its rawness and authenticity. The captivating music winds its way through the film like a leitmotiv, amplifying its atmosphere of timelessness and adding strength to its message. Lead actress Carla Turcotte previously appeared in Ouellet’s New Denmark, which was presented in the 2009 Forum of Independents. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)