Film details

Synopsis

Having been established in their magnificent abbey at Oka, Québec, for over 125 years, the Trappist monks now prepare to leave. Before their departure, they have agreed to be filmed in
their daily rituals. The camera follows them to the orchard, wine cellar and gardens, through the light and shadows of long hallways, to prayers in the chapel and total silence of monastic cellars. In visually stunning scenes and candid interviews, we discover the story of these farmer-monks, men of science and education. They founded the Oka Agricultural Institute and managed it for over sixty years. It was at the Oka Institute that Québec’s first generations of agronomists and veterinarianswere trained, and some of our leading scientists found their calling at Oka. This is the story of the invaluable yet unsung legacy of contemplative brothers deeply involved in their society.

Credits

Script and Direction : Ninon Larochelle

Camera : François Laliberté

Sound : Frank Mannino

Editing : Natalie Lamoureux

Production : Pierre Marier with Les Films du Tricycle

Financial Partners

Radio-Canada Télévision

Les Films du Tricycle

Direction

Ninon Larochelle

A native of the Beauce region of Québec, Ninon Larochelle has a Bachelor’s degree in literature. After publishing several short stories and a novel (Bouche cousue, 1992), Larochelle wrote the screenplay for a television drama on Télé-Québec and France 3 (Chez Régine, 52 minutes, 1993). She began her career in documentary film in 1994 as a screenwriter and then as a director for television. Ten years later, she launches a more personal body of work, dealing with themes concerning identity and the quest for meaning. The Legacy of the Oka Trappists is an early illustration of this approach to her work.   Filmography   Augustines, corps et âme (2010 / 64 min) The Legacy of the Oka Trappists (2008 / 52 min)