Précis du quotidien

Seldom has Egypt's capital been so evocatively captured. A fly-on-the-wall doc exploring the mysterious and hard-knock reality of a typical Egyptian belly dancer clan in working-class Cairo. Unparalleled access to this hidden world leaves the viewer fascinated and surprised that at night they dance. Such frankness among Arabic women is all too rare in films.

Before Daybreak is a film about how life is passed on, and about the privileged relationship people have with the land they inhabit. In her house on Providence Island, Florence performs her timeless gestures. In Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, Simonne opens her house and heart to guests, friends, people without work. Mireille, Florence’s daughter, affirms her desire to keep living in Tête-à-la-Baleine despite the decline in fishing. Gédéon, an old fisherman, observes the universe through his fertile imagination. The passenger freighter, Nordik Express is the silent witness of the links woven by time in the immense territory of the lower North Shore of the St. Lawrence.

Through the eyes of children and women of different generations, this film reveals the soul of a small village on the Upper North Shore. Mrs. Kennedy has a vital link with the forest: Diane, faced with the difficult path of her life, raises her head; Cathy, at 18, has the biting lucidity of those who have had to fight. The strength and willpower of each of them is echoed by Guylaine, the young soprano who, throughout the film, plays, sings and exudes joie de vivre.

After failed attempts to reach Europe, César, Félou, and Érik end up in Bamako, Mali, deported but determined to pursue their dreams. Amih fights to escape unfulfillment and create a better future for herself and her children. Their paths converge in Bamako, a transit city for migrants whose hopes of entering the West have been shattered. Despite struggles, they seek freedom through poetry, theatre, and song, expressing the inexpressible and standing against oppressive forces. Collateral victims of the global economic crisis, they aspire to live life on their own terms. Their dreams and words resonate with universal truths, embodying power.

What does a curious little girl find on her way north? Wolves, trees, stones, people. Through Gracile's quest to find her father, this documentary tale takes us into a world of men. Men whose sometimes tragic destinies are linked to the land they inhabit, whether by choice or necessity. It's as if a fatality drags them into the movement of the world in spite of themselves. Like the men she meets along the way - all possible fathers for Gracile - the paths she travels sometimes open onto gaping wounds: devastated forests, mine holes, ruined industrial zones. The lament of trees can be heard while men remain silent. From the moment she sets out and throughout her journey, the little girl is accompanied in spirit by her mother and nature, as well as by an Innu grandmother whose voice nourishes her dreams. This dreamlike world rubs shoulders with the raw reality Gracile is confronted with.

“Open your heart and ears,” says Niilo to Aamu as he leaves her on the other shore... That's good advice for Aamu, a little girl on a journey to discover the world. What's the world made of,” asks the little girl. Are there monsters, witches, ogres and magicians? In fact, her footsteps led her to simple people living in harmony with nature, each a magician or magician in their own way. Under her grandmother's benevolent gaze, the little girl grows up in contact with these people, each of whom holds a gentle lesson in life. A soothing film about the beauty of the world.