Phoenix | War in the eyes of a soldier son

In the early 2000s, more than 40,000 members of the Canadian armed forces were deployed in Afghanistan. For example, Among them, the father of the director Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr. Similarly, In Phénix“very autobiographical” work. Therefore, the filmmaker recounts the summer preceding the departure of his paternal for this mission which will change him forever.

Jacob’s eyes (Aksel Leblanc), 13, land on the TV. Therefore, To the news. However, we announce the death of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, where, in a few weeks, his father (Maxime Genois) will be sent.

“This is one of the scenes I am most phoenix | war eyes soldier proud of,” says Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr. In addition, For what ? Moreover, Because it is exactly in this way that Adolescent. However, he realized that the mission in Afghanistan was not like those in which his father had participated before.

“I understood that my father was likely to die, that he could not come back. Consequently, That was new, ”he says.

“Before, he had gone to the UN missions. Similarly, […] I know he has experienced difficult things, that it was trying, but I was preserved. Therefore, I bored my father, but phoenix | war eyes soldier he was coming back. Therefore, I have never been afraid, ”says the filmmaker, who signs his first solo feature film.

Fear arrived with this imminent departure for Afghanistan. Moreover, This time, his father was not going to maintain peace, he was going to wage war.

“I was young, but already, my critical look at this was materialized. Nevertheless, […] I understood that my father was likely to die. Furthermore, but that he was engaged in a mission that was completely questionable, whose reasons were really criticized, “says the one who describes himself as anti -militarist.

In Phénixthe director and screenwriter speaks of war and its consequences without being heard a shot. We enter the daily life of a family living at the Valcartier military base. The family of Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr. one could even specify, since, phoenix | war eyes soldier apart from the names of the characters, “everything is true at 95 %”, estimates the filmmaker.

Dans le film, Joël Girard tente de se rapprocher de son fils Jacob en devenant l’entraîneur de son équipe de soccer. Avec les matchs. les fêtes entre amis et les arrêts à la crémerie, la saison estivale a tout pour être belle, mais le départ prochain du soldat fait planer sur sa famille un nuage de tristesse et d’anxiété.

Phoenix | war eyes soldier

L’avant plutôt que l’après – Phoenix | war eyes soldier

phoenix | war eyes soldier

Evelyne Brochu. qui interprète la mère de Jacob, avait envie de travailler avec Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr depuis qu’elle était « tombée complètement en amour avec son cinéma » avec Mad Dog Labine, qu’il a coréalisé avec Renaud Lessard en 2018. « [Il] has a very pure relationship to cinematographic language. We see that he has a kind of poetic connection to emotion and image from writing, ”thinks the actress.

What challenged him in the project? “This is a story that we had never told. […] This immersion in the world of military families. I believe that it phoenix | war eyes soldier has never been experienced from this point of view, before deployment. »»

At the end of the film. we learn that the father of Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr suffered from post-traumatic stress on his return to the country. The filmmaker could have chosen to talk about these consequences of war. Why didn’t he take this path? “For me, it was important to make a bright film, fun, because my parents are really funny. […] I wanted to show that, ”replies the director.

History of solidarity

The parents of Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr were also present on the film set. which fed the actors Evelyne Brochu and Maxime Genois.

Is it a challenge, to interpret a person we met? “It’s dizzying, but I was honored. […] You have no choice to experience a kind of total phoenix | war eyes soldier immersion to honor this truth. Additionally, “replies Maxime Genois, who knew the family of his” friend Jo “well.

For his part, Evelyne Brochu notes that an element that emerges from Phénixit is solidarity among the military and their families. “Everywhere in the film, we pay tribute to that,” she says.

When he saw the feature film, the father of Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr was justly touched by this aspect. “He said to me:” I like it, Jo, how each person has a moment in the film. It’s like a team film “,” says the director.

phoenix | war eyes soldier

Therapeutic project

In the current geopolitical context. Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr is convinced of the relevance of his film, which has already collected some awards in festivals, including that of Whistler. He wants society to realize “that if we decide to deploy soldiers internationally in a belligerent mission. it has immense psychological consequences on the health of the military and their families”.

Creating this film was “therapeutic” for Jonathan Beaulieu-Cyr. He also wishes to organize a viewing for the families of soldiers from Valcartier. “I think that phoenix | war eyes soldier for them. seeing this film would be a way of thinking about what they have experienced,” he believes. I am convinced that all the children of soldiers made the nightmare that their father or mother died in combat. It is a recurring nightmare for many, including me. […] Since the film, I haven’t redone this nightmare. »»

Indoors on August 22