Film details

Synopsis

In this touching documentary, filmmaker Chadi Bennani accompanies his mother, Dominique, as she sets out to empty Nicole’s apartment, her mother who passed two years prior. Through their discoveries, Dominique and Chadi share their memories of Nicole, as well as their apprehensions of a future without her. Searching to keep a promise made to her mother, Dominique quickly faces a home filled to the ceiling, displaying at first glance Nicole’s hoarding tendencies. However, this seemingly insurmountable task evokes much more for Dominique and Chadi, for whom each object embodies Nicole’s presence, accompanying them along the way. Harboring beauty and pain, this film presents the relationship between a mother and her son when facing the emptiness left by the departure of a loved one.

Crew

Script writer : Chadi Bennani

Cinematography : Alix Desrochers-Dubois

Editing : Jérémie Mazan

Sound design : Jérémie Mazan

Sound mix : Jérémie Mazan

Music : Fabien Leblanc

Sound : Bastien Blancho

Direction

Chadi Bennani

Chadi Bennani graduated in 2022 from the UQAM’s film production program. During his studies, he directed his first short film, “Nicole” (2023), presented at Hot Docs 2023 as part of the Best Short Documentary competition. In 2022, he received the ACCT’s “Bourses de l’Académie pour la relève” grant. Recipient of the Regard sur Montréal film residency in 2023, Chadi directed his next short documentary film “Here and There” (2023), presented as the RIDM’s 26th edition opening film.

 

Filmography

HERE AND THERE, 19 min, Documentary, 2023

BONDS, Short feature, 11 min, Fiction, 2022

NICOLE, 23 min., Documentary, 2023