Denis Côté

An introverted man runs a "car cemetery" where people come to find parts for old vehicles. (imdb)

Set on the fringe of society, in a remote part of the countryside, Curling takes a keen look at the unusual private life of a father and his daughter. Between his unremarkable jobs, Jean-François Blain devotes an awkward energy to Julyvonne. The fragile balance of their relationship will be jeopardized by some very dreary circumstances. (imdb)

A popular sensation in medieval Europe, bestiaries were catalogs of beasts featuring exotic animal illustrations, zoological wisdom, and ancient legends. Denis Côté's startling Bestiaire unfolds like a filmic picture book where both humans and animals are on display. As we observe them, they also observe us and one another, invoking the Hindu idea of darshan: a mutual beholding that initiates a shift in consciousness. (mubi.com)

Christian has committed a crime, a crime of compassion. A troubled soul, he must now flee not only the law, but the deep ethical consequences of his act. The path he sets upon leads him to where all roads end: a small community by the name of Radisson, 1500km north of Montreal. Slowly, he starts his life anew, among his new neighbors, a new job, a new interest in life. His story drifts along between fiction and reality... (MUBI)

A lonely bus stop, a trumpet-playing scout and a woman who refuses to pay him anything for his off-tune performance. This dryly humorous opening sets the tone for rest of the film which tells the story of Vic, a woman who has just been released from prison and who is on the hunt for some peace and quiet. (berlinale.de)

An open-ended exploration of the energies and rituals of various workplaces. From one worker to another and one machine to the next; hands, faces, breaks, toil: what kind of absurdist, abstract dialogue can be started between human beings and their need to work?

In an isolated corner of the country where nothing goes on, an ex-mobster and his rebellious step-daughter Coralie are looking for solutions to their finacial difficulties and existential stagnation. Desperate, troubled by the recent disappearance of the mother/wife, and surrounded by intimidating crooks, the duo tries to address their issues. Coralie is out for vengeance in a cruel and male-dominated world. Elle veut le chaos is a melodrama... (imdb)

Boris Malinovsky is going through Québec life with ruthless arrogance. This is a man who, clad in tailored suits, seems to have it all. But then his world begins to falter when his equally successful wife, a minister in the Canadian government, is confined to her bed with depression and is cared for in their remote holiday home. There, Boris receives phone calls from a mysterious stranger who confronts Boris with the kind of questions he would rather not have to think about. (berlinale.de)

Jean-François, Ronald, Alexis, Cédric, Benoit and Maxim are gladiators of modern times. From the strongman to the top-class bodybuilder, to the veteran who has become a trainer, they all share the same definition and obsession with overcoming their limitations. They are waiting for the next competition, working hard in the gym and following extreme diets. (imdb)

In a small and isolated town, Simon Dubé dies in a car accident. The stunned townspeople are reluctant to discuss the circumstances of the tragedy. From that point on time seems to lose all meaning, and the days stretch on without end. (imdb)

Wilcox exists outside the norm. Deserter, delinquent, or survivalist, he quietly roams, looking to put down roots or for what could simply be called freedom. (festivalscope)

7 acclaimed directors shot films commissioned by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The project is inspired by the book Species of Spaces by the French novelist Georges Perec and the days of quarantine. The idea is to create a film at home, using the environment, the people or the animals in that space. The only outdoor areas that may be used are outdoor living spaces, such as the terrace, the garden, the balcony and the stairwell. (Letterboxd)

Six men. The forest. The menace is there somewhere. Armed, ready, looking for action, they wander, day and night, striving for a confrontation. (letterboxd)

Winter persists. Something happened. At the heart of the woods, on the slopes of mountains, in the streets and even inside homes, a strange silence took up residence. Will there remain a soul to witness the recent event? (imdb)

Antonin is a bit of a dandy. He has a way with words that could have made him a famous writer, but instead mostly serves to get him out of trouble.

Welcome to Lisbon: there are mermaids by the Tagus and birds flying over the old city; there are mad scientists and singing fish; lost tourist guides and lost tourists; fado and sad guitars. What a weird city you may think - but no. Lisbon is about being different, sarcastic, welcoming to foreigners even in an economic crisis. Different directors became fascinated by our strangeness. We became fascinated by these directors. The city is never the same in these four episodes, here in Lisbon.

Invited to a rest home to explore their sexual issues, three women spend their days and nights trying to tame their inner demons. Under the detached supervision of a German therapist and a considerate social worker, the group attempts to maintain a delicate balance. For the young Geisha, somber Léonie and unpredictable Eugénie, it's a chance to get away from the noise, to engage with the present, and think about the future.

Set on carrying out her task with dedication, a woman is obsessed with watching over anonymous interiors and occupying them. Both a custodian of the premises and a ghostly presence, she becomes an echo of how we relate to time, solitude and the melancholy of forsaken spaces.

Carte blanche du 40e Festival du nouveau cinéma en 2011.

In Lisbon, Claudia offers guided tours in and out of the city. At night, she kills time with her sister in a modest apartment. In Lisbon, lonesome Martinho is fluent in Italian and guide tourists all around town. In Lisbon, a band is jamming. They perform improvisational noise jazz. In Lisbon, a mysterious phenomenon fills the air. Claudia and Martinho’s lonely hearts will discreetly meet to the sound of music.

After a lengthy virtual relationship over the Internet, Milena and Philip take the plunge and agree to finally meet. Having lived in Montreal for over a decade, Milena, an immigrant of Bulgarian descent, accepts to greet her correspondent Philip, a flirtatious photographer from Sofia. Out in an isolated cottage in Quebec’s countryside, the couple abandon themselves to one another. Between periods of cultural clashes and fleshly pleasures, the two assess each other and the possibilities for love.