The impressive cast of Testament, the feature film that Denys Arcand is set to release over the next year, is now being revealed. Rémy Girard heads this satirical comedy that seeks to take a critical look at our times.
Posted at 7:00 am
The man who has starred in several of the veteran filmmaker’s films, including The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions, this time takes on the role of Jean-Michel Bouchard, a pensioner from the National Archives who has lost faith in humanity. The latter seeks new standards “in an era of political correctness, identity evolving, protests, cultural scandals, activism, media storms, and other disputes.”
PHOTO JAN THIJS SUPPLIED BY CINEMAGINAIRE
Rémy Girard in Testament, the new film by Denys Arcand
The actor, whose recent performance in You Will Remember Me was unanimously acclaimed, is joined by a star cast including several actors who have appeared in the filmmaker’s previous feature films (Yves Jacques, Johanne-Marie Tremblay, Robert Lepage, Pierre Curzi, Geneviève Schmidt, Marcel Sabourin, Gaston Lepage, Caroline Néron and some others). Also in the credits we find, to name a few, Sophie Lorain (unrecognizable as the manager of a retirement home), Guylaine Tremblay, Denis Bouchard, Charlotte Aubin, Guillaume Lambert, Louis-José Houde, Clémence DesRochers, René Richard Cyr. Brigitte Paquette, Danielle Fichaud, Louise Turcot, Luc Senay and Marie-Soleil Dion!
A first film role for Marie-Mai
The most surprising presence in all this spit is undoubtedly that of Marie-Mai in a first major role in cinema. In a short video introducing all the characters, the singer-presenter, who borrows the look of a woman who obviously doesn’t want to be imposed, says: “Contrary to what you might think, I’m very wise! “We don’t know any more for the time being.
“We had heard about Marie-Mai’s interest in the game and we asked her if she would be willing to audition for a part that would have required a single day of shooting,” producer Denise Robert told La Presse. She was so good at this process that Denys offered her the second female role in the feature film, with Sophie Lorain playing the first. »
After wrapping up filming on Testament last week, Denys Arcand wanted to pay tribute to the cast of his film. “It was a wonderful shoot, all the actors were in great shape and in good spirits. Hope the end result is worth it! ‘ he commented with this statement transmitted to us.
A new collaboration
We also know that Testament will be distributed by TVA Films, a decision that follows the withdrawal from theatrical film distribution by Seville Films, a company Denise Robert worked with for many years.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CINEMAGINAIRE
In Testament, the new film from Denys Arcand, Sophie Lorain plays the director of a nursing home.
“When we found out that Seville had stopped distributing theatrically, we were in the process of promoting Lines of Flight,” recalls the producer. And the shooting of Testament was imminent. This put us in a difficult position because at the beginning of filming we couldn’t do what we normally do for promotional purposes. It also became important for us to do business with a company that, in the event of a cessation of activity, can return the rights to the rights holders so that our films do not end up in the hands of a company in the United States. . . TVA Films was able to put our wishes on the table so we could quickly get on with our work. The collaboration is great. »
No specific release date has been considered yet, but Testament will certainly hit theaters sometime in 2023.