The Goddess of Enchantment

Did you want to see the Canadian radio miniseries dedicated to the childhood of the writer Gabrielle Roy? Zero and one bar.

A Manitoba-Quebec regional co-production, a low budget for a period series and an abuse of melancholic violins, all the elements converged towards a cathodic disaster of the type in the valdrague (Phew!). I also passed my turn when the ARTV channel broadcast in March the eight half-hour episodes of the The world of Gabrielle Roy. Thanks but no thanks.

When Radio-Canada resumed work on its time slot at the end of June (Monday at 7:30 pm), I listened and opened my eyes. Especially in what The world of Gabrielle Roy had won two major nominations before the Gemini gala in September: best actress (Martine Francke) and best director (Renée Blanchar).

Verdict? He’s kind, touching and charming, not corny at all. Really, my prejudices have clouded my judgment, I’m sorry. This slow, poetic series resembles television adaptations taken from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novels, including Anne… the house with the green tiles.

The free section of Tou.tv offers the first two episodes of The world of Gabrielle Roy. The third one happens on Monday night and the complete collection is available on Tou.tv Extra.

Camped between 1919 and 1929, The world of Gabrielle Roy It comes in eight childhood memories of the famous writer that will build her literary universe and feed her creative obsessions. Through the sparkling eyes of Gabrielle Roy (Léa-Kim Lafrance-Leroux), a 10-year-old girl, the viewer is immersed in the movement for the emancipation of women in Manitoba, the fight for the preservation of French outside of Quebec , the exile and oppression of Francophones, the social class struggle and the desire to escape from a future star of international literature.

No, you will not witness the creation of second hand happiness. The world of Gabrielle Roy it ends in the midst of an economic crisis when the heroine (now played by Romane Denis) is 20 years old and continues her studies to become a teacher. In almost 95% of the scenes in the miniseries, we follow Gabrielle, a curious, dreamy and nosy 10-year-old girl, as well as her older sisters Bernadette, Alicia and Clémence.

The character of Gabrielle Roy’s mother, Mélina Landry (excellent Martine Francke), clearly stands out. She is the one who encourages her daughter Gabrielle to “be part of the big world.” A world of lavish balls, silk gloves and shopping at Eaton’s that Mélina has never entered.

This pious, intense, proud and protective woman is the heart of the family home on Rue Deschambault, in Saint-Boniface. A seamstress, Mélina is torn between religious traditions and the wind of modernity that blows in the meadows.

Her husband, Léon Roy (Gaston Lepage), corresponds more to the stereotype of the man of his time. Gruff and sensitive at the same time, he worked for a long time as a colonization agent for the federal government, before losing his job. It is Léon who encourages his daughters to study, a valuable tool to get out of poverty.

The world of Gabrielle Roy contains some sources of irritation, including the omnipresent music that sometimes spoils the atmosphere. Nor is it a so-called classic biography, because the writer and director Renée Blanchar (beautiful bay) took historical liberties to embroider his narrative.

Does not matter. To tan smarter, The world of Gabrielle Roy it is closer to charm than to anguish.

Snowflakes (artificial)

Don’t waste your time with reality shows snowflake mountain from Netflix. It’s bad and the “script” – still think these shows are unscripted? – shines too bright for us to adhere to.

However, the concept had an attractive and striking appearance. Ten influencers or young people in their twenties, allergic to authority since birth, believe they are participating in a luxury reality show like an Ibizan villa with an infinity pool and unlimited champagne.

Mistake. The production lands them in the mountains, in the middle of a forest, where they will have to survive with the means at hand (and without their beauty kit). who is more woke up here, huh? You will suffer, my little ingrates!

Obviously, these ten members of Generation Z were chosen to represent the stereotype of the “snowflake”, a fragile young man unable to tolerate an opinion contrary to his own without taking offense.

Obviously, two ex-military men, animators Joel Graves and Matt Tate, are trying to break them down and toughen them up. Send, lazy people! Register your wood! Choose your fruit! Hunt your meat! And put your damn phones away!

I quit after three episodes, which end up repeating the same story: young people today are therefore very shallow, blah blah blah. It’s big, long.

With a little less bad faith, snowflake mountain could have been an entertaining show. His conservative biases, not even exploited with humor, only reinforce prejudices and widen the gap between two generations.

snowflake mountain thus it stays in the base camp and does not approach the summit at all.