The Hotel Dieu

[projekktor id=’25764′]

The Hotel Dieu is a Canadian coming-of-age drama written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Adrian Thiessen. It was produced in the St. Catharines and Niagara area and won the Niagara Rises Best Feature and RBC Emerging Artist prizes at last year’s Niagara Integrated Film Festival. The film stars Andrew Rotilio, Charlie Hamilton, Jessica Siegner, and Bob Douglas.

17-year-old LUKE and his older brother TRAVIS are involved in a serious car accident. They are rushed to The Hotel Dieu hospital’s emergency ward, where Luke is told his vision may be permanently impaired. Following the accident, the film moves in and out of Luke’s present and past while he copes with his new circumstances. Although Luke’s time at the Hotel Dieu is riddled with medical appointments and tests he  eventually meets JADE, a fellow patient who takes an interest. Travis, Jade and his therapist DR. LAWRENCE all attempt to help Luke persevere.

“A drama riddled with youthful existentialism and physical disability was a huge challenge and very ambitious project to undertake as a first picture,” says Thiessen. “But having worked on several features and shorts over the first few years of my career, I felt ready to enter the Canadian film industry as a fledgling director.”

The Hotel Dieu will opens on October 21 and runs for one week at the Carlton Cinema in Toronto, followed by screenings in the Niagara region where the film was produced on November 4 & 5. The film is rated 14A.