Reflective Encounters

“It’s 1983 and it’s almost Christmas time. Even though Santa is running late, the flurry curtains and colourful lights have served as a playground for eight-year old Julie and her younger brother Mathieu in a house full of merriment and guests. The bell rings, but the arrival they welcome is not the one they’ve been looking forward to: in comes their father, a timid Steve Laplante as Denis, whose efforts to stay jolly in the home of his ex-wife and relatives shines through his shy demeanor.

When the children distractedly refuse to leave with Denis, the room becomes claustrophobic, as seen through the slow zooms of Étienne Roussy’s camerawork, and the pristine Christmas decorations, all the while beckoning a celebratory mood, begin to feel more confining than cozy. However, when everyone prompts the estranged dad to sing, if just for a bit, a part of ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’, things seem to fall into place. Together with its grainy look, nostalgic set design and costumes, the film recovers the quintessence of Yuletide togetherness with the warmth of memories actualised.”

— Savina Petkova