Québécois Cinematography
It's highly likely you'll never have heard of Fermont: the intensely isolated mining town located in Northern Québec. Well, director Didier Charette wanted to change this and so set about creating his short film CRi, which paints us a portrait of this unique town.
Set miles away from anything in the North Eastern part of the region, society here feels like an apocalyptic movie. With one hundred times as many men as women and with temparatures regularly hitting around minus sixty in the January and February months, it would seem as though this is a ruthless place to inhabit. Couple this with the fact that the majority of the town's population lives in one building complex called The Wall (geekishly exciting for all Game of Thrones fans), designed to combat the harsh temperatures and containing accommodation, grocery stores and a bowling alley, it truly does seem like a real-life version of 1984, or quite possibly a living hell. However, the town has an inexplicable and rare charm that seems to entrap those who visit.
Most Fermont-dwellers come initially for a set period of around four to five months, just to work in the mines, but many seem to get stuck and fall in love with the place. This piece of cinematography attempts to explain why, through stunning visuals that paint an eerie yet alluring portrait of this strange place. The ghostly and slightly sinister feel of Fermont is heightened by intelligent cinematographic techniques, most notably the warped, upside-down and reversed shots that are cut sporadically into the 4-minute film.
Throughout, we are privvy to the lives of a few of the locals, getting a snapshot of some of the activities they enjoy. Whether it's riding BMX through the strangely empty streets, or whizzing across the beautiful snowy plains on snowmobiles with the jaw-dropping backdrop of the flurrying Northern Lights, the cinematography celebrates the freedom and stunning scenery that these people enjoy on a daily basis. Thanks to the brilliant edit, the place really does ooze wanderlust and praises the simple way of life of those lucky enough to end up here.
Check it out here.
Set miles away from anything in the North Eastern part of the region, society here feels like an apocalyptic movie. With one hundred times as many men as women and with temparatures regularly hitting around minus sixty in the January and February months, it would seem as though this is a ruthless place to inhabit. Couple this with the fact that the majority of the town's population lives in one building complex called The Wall (geekishly exciting for all Game of Thrones fans), designed to combat the harsh temperatures and containing accommodation, grocery stores and a bowling alley, it truly does seem like a real-life version of 1984, or quite possibly a living hell. However, the town has an inexplicable and rare charm that seems to entrap those who visit.
Most Fermont-dwellers come initially for a set period of around four to five months, just to work in the mines, but many seem to get stuck and fall in love with the place. This piece of cinematography attempts to explain why, through stunning visuals that paint an eerie yet alluring portrait of this strange place. The ghostly and slightly sinister feel of Fermont is heightened by intelligent cinematographic techniques, most notably the warped, upside-down and reversed shots that are cut sporadically into the 4-minute film.
Throughout, we are privvy to the lives of a few of the locals, getting a snapshot of some of the activities they enjoy. Whether it's riding BMX through the strangely empty streets, or whizzing across the beautiful snowy plains on snowmobiles with the jaw-dropping backdrop of the flurrying Northern Lights, the cinematography celebrates the freedom and stunning scenery that these people enjoy on a daily basis. Thanks to the brilliant edit, the place really does ooze wanderlust and praises the simple way of life of those lucky enough to end up here.
Check it out here.
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