Two Quebec filmmakers receive first-ever Academy Award nominations
Jeremy Comte, Marianne Farley compete against each other for best short live action Oscar
Quebec filmmakers Marianne Farley and Jeremy Comte will be heading to Los Angeles for the 91st Academy Awards in February.
Their films are both nominated in the best live action short film category.
"It's insane," Farley told CBC after hearing her film, Marguerite, was nominated.
Marguerite tells the story of an octogenarian, played by Béatrice Picard, who suffers from diabetes and spends her days in solitude.
Her isolation is interrupted only by occasional visits from her nurse and caretaker, Rachel.
She tries to develop a bond with Rachel — until she learns that Rachel is a lesbian. The news changes their relationship — and Marguerite herself.
"Things have changed in the last, 40, 50 years and that's what I wanted to talk about," Farley said.
Jeremy Comte's film, Fauve, tells the story of two boys in Thetford Mines, Que., who play a dangerous game, daring each other to take increasingly risky behaviour.
"Growing up in the countryside myself, that's what I used to do, pull pranks with my best friend," Comte said. "We have such a strong facade as boys."
For both Farley and Comte, this is their first Oscar nomination.
A third Canadian short, Animal Behaviour, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, has also been nominated, in the short animation category.
It tells the story of five animals grappling with existential issues who end up in a group therapy session together.
With files from Brian Lapuz and Radio-Canada