Sundance: Film’s success surprises Quebec director

Quebec film director Philippe Falardeau is nervous with anticipation tonight as he waits for tomorrow’s oscar nominations.

His film Monsieur Lazhar has already made the academy’s short list as Canada’s entry for best foreign film. It’s the story of a Montreal school left reeling after their teacher commits suicide.

Bachir Lazhar, an Algerian immigrant, steps in as the substitute teacher for the traumatized children. All the while, he is fighting deportation; and like the children, he has suffered an appalling loss.

Falardeau calls this his most intimate film yet; and while he expected it to resonate with a few critics in Quebec, he never expected the film’s appeal would be so wide: selling $2 million in film tickets in Quebec alone was just the start.

While Falardeau awaits tomorrow’s announcement to find out if he has to pack for the Oscars, he can take some solace in the fact he was recently named one of Variety’s ten directors to watch.

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