The FNC turns 55

October 12 and 18 – Cineplex Quartier Latin  

If you appreciate emotionally charged family dramas, Everytime is a great pick. In the film, which won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes this year, a mother and her two daughters lead ordinary lives until the older daughter falls off a roof. Austrian filmmaker Sandra Wollner is a keen observer of her characters’ grief as they try to rebuild their lives. 

October 11 and 14 – Cinémathèque québécoise  

Against a backdrop of breathtaking Republic of Georgia landscapes, this documentary takes a sensitive look at three Armenian friends on the cusp of adulthood. Their futures seem set to diverge: Henrikh dreams of attending university in Tblisi, Karlen wants to leave the family farm and move to Moscow and Hakob plans to stay in his job at the cheese factory. The three friends are deeply attached to their hometown, but they also share a youthful thirst for freedom. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A session with members of the film crew.  

October 15 – Cineplex Quartier Latin 

In 17^th century Germany, ravaged by the Thirty Years’ War, a mysterious soldier appears in a remote village, claiming to be the heir to an abandoned farm. But the soldier is actually a woman who has lived as a man for many years, enjoying the kind of freedom denied to women in that time and place. Markus Schleinzer, a former collaborator of Michael Haneke, directs a captivating Sandra Hüller, whose acting earned her a Silver Bear at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. 

October 8 and 12 – Cineplex Quartier Latin   

Ever the mischief-maker, Quentin Dupieux decided to make his own version of The Matrix – and it’s quite the trip. What if the world is not actually real, but a simulation deep inside an absurd digital abyss, etc. etc.? This comedy, animated in a distinctly low-res retro style (think The Sims about 25 years ago) was the closing film at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes this year. There’s a strong case to be made that its childbirth scene is the absolute best in the history of cinema. No, really! 

October 11 – Cinémathèque québécoise  
October 17 – Cineplex Quartier Latin  

How about a fascinating slice of history? In this film, Sergei Loznitsa compiles images captured by Italian filmmakers who visited the USSR between 1970 and 1973. The result is an epic journey through the USSR, with neither voiceovers nor music. From Moscow to Turkmenistan, from Ukraine to Buryatia, Loznitsa shows us everything from fleeting images of daily life to grandiose official events, highlighting the uniqueness of the republics then living under the hammer and sickle.  

Furyo: October 12 – Cinémathèque québécoise 
In The Realm Of The Senses: October 14 and 17 – Cinémathèque québécoise  
Max Mon Amour: October 17 and 18 – Cinémathèque québécoise 

(Re)discover the work of Nagisa Ōshima, the enfant terrible of the Japanese New Wave. In Furyo, David Bowie and Ryuichi Sakamoto (who also composed the film’s soundtrack) star in a prison-camp drama centred on culture clashes and forbidden desire; indulge your S&M fantasies with In The Realm Of The Senses, a landmark film exploring erotic obsession that happens to be Madonna’s favourite flick; and, with Max My Love (Max mon amour), follow the adventures of a man who finds out that his wife is cheating on him with a chimpanzee – and decides to bring the ape into their home. 

Escape From New York: October 16 – Cinémathèque québécoise  
Oddities: October 15 and 16 – Cineplex Quartier Latin  
The Fog: October 14 – Cinémathèque québécoise  

Adrienne Barbeau is a 1980s movie icon thanks to her starring roles in the films of her then-husband, John Carpenter. She’ll be joining us for special 35mm screenings of The Fog (1980) and Escape from New York (1981), and to promote the new film Oddities (2026). Don’t miss this exciting tribute to the embodiment of feminine cool!