“Recognized as the most awarded Canadian documentary, the film is also possibly the most awarded documentary worldwide,” says Comeau.
Launched at the FICFA film festival in Moncton followed by the RVQC festival in Montreal, the film has been selected at more than 130 festivals in some 50 countries on five continents. This film award in Vancouver is the seventh in Canada. The other recognitions include 28 awards received in the United States, 23 in nine European countries, 39 in ten Asian countries, two in South America and one award in Australia.
The film follows a group of Acadian descendants from Belle-Île-en-Mer, in France, on a pilgrimage to the Maritime provinces during the World Acadian Congress in 2019. A deeply touching film which follows a group of people who participate at the Acadian diaspora reunion at the World Congress and who walk on the farmlands of their ancestors deported in 1755. The film is about exile, a feeling of belonging and leads the viewer to question the importance of collective memory in preserving its culture.
The reviews received by the film are all positive. The reporter Stella Saccà at the Venice Film Awards in Italy writes: “When something is done with love, the audience can feel it. The story of the journey of a group of families from Belle-Île-en-Mer who flies to Canada to meet their families “from the other side of the ocean” in search of their roots, is not only a deepening of this historical chapter but also the objective example of a story about forced emigration, a very topical issue. (…) It is a demonstration that commitment is the only way to make the past immortal. And this documentary is an example of commitment, perfectly succeeded.”
From critic Jenn Coulter to the Filmstrip International Film Festival in Romania: “Belle-Île en Acadie is a beautiful and heartwarming documentary (…) The images are breathtaking while showing these old Acadian regions of lush greenery in vast open spaces. It’s images that resonate emotionally and create a powerful film.”
From the Critic Review Online Festival in India: “A must watch documentary (…) The director Phil Comeau succeeds with emotion in describing the importance of culture and strength in unity (…) This film should be used as a study material for young documentary directors.”
The director Phil Comeau, from Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, divides his time between Moncton and Montreal. He promises to celebrate the film’s success with his team and the characters. “I am very happy for the positive exposure this film gives to Acadians on the international festival circuit and I thank the generous characters who participated, the dedicated crew and the financial contributors to the film,” he said.
The film was financed by public crowdfunding and a few sponsors. It has been officially selected at some twenty other upcoming festivals in England, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Russia, Venezuela and the Philippines.
