Maelström (film)
Encyclopedia
Maelström is a 2000 Canadian film by Québécois
writer
-director
Denis Villeneuve
. It stars Marie-Josée Croze
as a depressed
, alcoholic woman who becomes romantically involved with the son of a man she believes to have killed in a hit and run
accident.
The film has won 23 awards, including 5 Genie Awards and the FIPRESCI
Prize, and was nominated for 8 more awards.
). In Quebec
during the autumn of 1999, twenty-five-year-old Bibiane Champagne (Marie-Josée Croze
), head of three clothing boutiques, is being crushed by the expectations put on her for being the daughter of a celebrity
, Flo Fabert. She resorts to drugs and alcohol in an effort to cope, while trying in vain to keep her problems from for example her colleague brother Philippe (Bobby Beshro) and a persistent magazine
reporter (Marie-France Lambert). The early scenes of the film show her friends supporting her through her first abortion
and her inability to function in her job.
One night, Bibiane fatally wounds a 53-year-old fishmonger
, Annstein Karson, in a hit and run
accident. Wracked by guilt, and wanting to erase the evidence, she drives her car into the river. She survives, and interprets her survival as a sign that she deserves to recover her life. The fishmonger's son Evian, a diver
who was recently inspecting Manic 5, encounters Bibiane by surprise and she quickly poses as his late father's neighbour. Evian falls in love with her, and Bibiane confesses eventually that she is his father's killer. She helps him sort through Annstein's possessions, and in the final scene, Bibiane accompanies Evian to Lofoten
to dispose of the ashes.
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
-director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve
Denis Villeneuve is a Canadian film director and writer. In his early career he won Radio-Canada's youth film competition "La Course Europe-Asie" in 1990-91. He is a three-time winner of the Genie Award for Best Director, for Maelström in 2001, Polytechnique in 2010 and Incendies in 2011...
. It stars Marie-Josée Croze
Marie-Josée Croze
-Career:Croze was born in Montreal, QC. She won the award for Best Actress at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Barbarian Invasions. She was cast by prominent Hollywood director Steven Spielberg for his film Munich which was released in December 2005...
as a depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, alcoholic woman who becomes romantically involved with the son of a man she believes to have killed in a hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
accident.
The film has won 23 awards, including 5 Genie Awards and the FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
Prize, and was nominated for 8 more awards.
Synopsis
The story is told by a fish (with the voice of Pierre LebeauPierre Lebeau
Pierre Lebeau is a Quebec actor. He is best known for major roles in Quebec big-box movies such as Séraphin: un homme et son péché and the four-part Les Boys series.-Acting background:...
). In Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
during the autumn of 1999, twenty-five-year-old Bibiane Champagne (Marie-Josée Croze
Marie-Josée Croze
-Career:Croze was born in Montreal, QC. She won the award for Best Actress at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in The Barbarian Invasions. She was cast by prominent Hollywood director Steven Spielberg for his film Munich which was released in December 2005...
), head of three clothing boutiques, is being crushed by the expectations put on her for being the daughter of a celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
, Flo Fabert. She resorts to drugs and alcohol in an effort to cope, while trying in vain to keep her problems from for example her colleague brother Philippe (Bobby Beshro) and a persistent magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
reporter (Marie-France Lambert). The early scenes of the film show her friends supporting her through her first abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and her inability to function in her job.
One night, Bibiane fatally wounds a 53-year-old fishmonger
Fishmonger
A fishmonger is someone who sells fish and seafood...
, Annstein Karson, in a hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
accident. Wracked by guilt, and wanting to erase the evidence, she drives her car into the river. She survives, and interprets her survival as a sign that she deserves to recover her life. The fishmonger's son Evian, a diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
who was recently inspecting Manic 5, encounters Bibiane by surprise and she quickly poses as his late father's neighbour. Evian falls in love with her, and Bibiane confesses eventually that she is his father's killer. She helps him sort through Annstein's possessions, and in the final scene, Bibiane accompanies Evian to Lofoten
Lofoten
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
to dispose of the ashes.