SAINT-NARCISSE
a film by Bruce LaBruce
FEATURE PRESENTATION
Presented by Telefilm Canada
SCREENING JUNE 24–27, 2021
AVAILABLE IN ATLANTIC CANADA
2021 / CANADA / 111 mins
A Q+A with Bruce LaBruce will follow the screening
Canadian icon and iconoclast Bruce LaBruce struts between the sacred and the profane in this bizarre and provocative homage to the classic myth of Narcissus. Set in 1972 Québéc, Saint-Narcisse tells the story of the self-obsessed neckerchief-wielding Montrealer Dominic (Félix-Antoine Duval) who embarks on a motorcycle quest to discover the truth about his long lost mother Beatrice (Tania Kontoyanni). His travels take him to the village of Saint-Narcisse, where he finds more than he came for—his identical twin Daniel (also Duval), a monk held captive at a secluded monastery staffed by a depraved priest (Andreas Apergis). Unable to resist their attraction for one another, a twincestuous reunion ensues. As the family’s love grows, their resolve to liberate Daniel hardens. Shot in the style of ’70s cult films by cinematographer Michel La Veaux, LaBruce’s latest provides a cheeky and compelling commentary on the normalization of narcissism through a (literal) homecoming tale of sainthood, seduction, and redemption. —Dan Boos
TRAILER
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Bruce LaBruce
Bruce LaBruce is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker, photographer, writer, and artist based in Toronto. Along with a number of short films, he has written and directed nine feature films, including his most recent, Gerontophilia, which won the Grand Prix at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal in 2013, and Pierrot Lunaire, which won the Teddy Award Special Jury Prize at the Berlinale in 2014. As a visual artist he is represented by Peres Projects in Berlin, and has had numerous gallery shows around the world, the latest of which, called Obscenity, a photography exhibit, caused a national ruckus in Spain in 2011.His feature film L.A. Zombie was notably banned in Australia in 2010 after having been programmed at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It later premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland that same year.