Special screening of C'est pas moi, je le jure ! with the participation of Philippe Falardeau.

On February 28, 2009, as part of the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, Jean-François Bélair, MD, psychiatrist at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, will join director Philippe Falardeau for a discussion following the screening of the film C'est pas moi, je le jure ! Élaine Ayotte, radio host for the shows 275-allo/Ados-radio at Radio-Canada, will act as a moderator to facilitate the discussion with the public.

Every spring, for six consecutive years now, the Douglas Institute presents a series of movie nights with screenings followed by lively discussions among audience members, the films' creators, and experts from the Douglas Institute. For the first time this year, the Douglas also has the opportunity to present a "Frames of Mind" evening during the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. The film C'est pas moi, je le jure ! (It's not me, I swear !) has just recently been awarded the Crystal Bear and the Grand Prix for Best Feature Film in the Generations Kplus section at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.

C'est pas moi, je le jure ! – Plot synopsis
Summer 1968. Léon Doré, age ten, is a ticking time bomb with a fertile imagination. His mother and father argue constantly, and his tiresome neighbour, Léa, always has to have the last word. But when his mother decides to make a new life for herself in Greece, Léon's existence changes dramatically. To forget his troubles, he breaks into the neighbour's house, becomes a professional liar, finds the money to buy a plane ticket to Greece, and even falls in love with Léa. Will he be able to deal with the pain of abandonment and growing older?

Two novels, one film
In writing and directing this movie, Philippe Falardeau was inspired by two novels by Bruno Hébert: C’est pas moi, je le jure ! and Alice court avec René, published in 1997 and 2000 respectively by Éditions Boréal. The film stars Suzanne Clément and Daniel Brière as the boy's mother and father and Antoine L'Écuyer as the young Léon.

The pain of abandonment
"Léon's misadventures clearly illustrate how children are sometimes unable to express their pain in words and instead must act it out with disturbing behavour and actions that can be destructive both to themselves and to others. These actions are often cries for help that must be interpreted to fully understand the distress of the child or adolescent," explains Jean-François Bélair, who works with children and teens. "A discussion with the audience following the screening is an excellent opportunity to raise awarenesss of issues surrounding mental health and discuss them in a judgment-free environment," he adds.

What?  
Special screening of C'est pas moi, je le jure! - 110 min., 2008
Followed by a discussion with Philippe Falardeau, director and screenwriter, and Jean-François Bélair, psychiatrist at the Douglas Institute
                
When? 
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Screening: 7 p.m.

Where? 
Cinéma Beaubien
2396 Rue Beaubien East / corner Louis-Hébert
(Beaubien metro station + Bus 18 Beaubien)

Tickets:  For information about the cost of tickets and how to obtain them, visit the Web site of the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, or call the ticket office at 514 790-1245.

Both the film and the following discussion will be in French.