NOTES ON A ROAD LESS TAKEN
94 min, Documentary, Quebec, Canada, 2011Directed byCatherine Hébert
Produced byVirginie Dubois, Catherine Hébert (Coop Vidéo de Montréal)
LanguagesFrench, English, Bambara, Pulaar
An engrossing road movie, given tremendous depth by its « journeys within the journey » – the fascinating detours taken as the road meanders and forks.
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Press reviews
Carnets d’un grand détour est un film poétique, sensuel, flâneur. André Duchesne, La Presse Générosité et sensibilité imprègnent le film de bout en bout. Sami Gnaba, Revue Séquences Attentif, le cinéma est là pour saisir, au-delà des mots et de tout cliché misérabiliste, le sens d’une communauté humaine encore vivace […] Gérard Grugeau, 24 imagesFilm details
Synopsis
When Marc Roger, a public reader, sets himself the challenge of walking from Saint-Malo, France, to Bamako, Mali, along with a donkey laden with books to be read aloud, fi lmmaker Catherine Hébert (The Other Side of the Country) joins him in Morocco, her camera rolling. Every day, thousands of Africans trek northward, hoping to make a better life for themselves. Notes on a Road Less Taken chronicles a journey in the other direction, along the dusty roads and trails of Morocco, Senegal and Mali. As we follow the pair, the filmmaker’s stunning images and poetic narration create a deeply personal portrait of Africa and its people. Parallel stories emerge from the odyssey: Marc’s, Catherine’s and those of the people they meet on the road.
Credits
Script and Direction : Catherine Hébert
Direction of Photography : Catherine Hébert
Sound : Catherine Hébert
Editing : Annie Jean
Sound Design : Mélanie Gauthier
Music : Florencia Di Concilio
Mixing : Bruno Bélanger
Producer : Virginie Dubois, Catherine Hébert
Production : Coop Vidéo de Montréal
Financial Partners
SODEC
Conseil des arts du Canada
Conseil des Arts et des lettres du Québec
PRIM
Direction
Catherine Hébert
Catherine Hébert is a maker of political and social documentary films. She has often filmed in Sub-Saharan Africa, taking an interest in the effects of war and violence against women, as well as exploring the intricate fabric of everyday life. Her films, particularly The other side of the country (2008) and Notes on a road less taken (2011), have earned critical acclaim and selections to numerous festivals, where they have won several awards.
Filmography
Ziva Postec, The Editor Behind The Film Shoah, 92 min, 2018
- Yesterday in Nyassan, 24 min, 2016
- René Derouin, 4 x 5 min, 2013
- Notes on a Road Less Taken, 94 min, 2012
- The Other Side of the Country, 84 min, 2008
- He’s the Man, 89 min, 2005
- La longue route de Julienne, 23 min, 2008
- Le microcrédit en question, 23 min, 2008
- Le visage que j’avais, 26 min, 2006
- Mangos for Charlotte, 23 min, 2004
- Tea at the Embassy, 47 min, 2003