VIFF 2017: Maison du Bonheur
Canadian filmmaker Sofia Bohdanowicz moves in with Juliane for a month and distills the essence of the woman and her environment into a one-hour long documentary. I love the way the film is structured and conceived; this is no comprehensive portrait of Juliane, a woman Sofia does not know and has never met until she arrives at her home in Paris.
Instead we see Juliane doing her makeup, watering the voluminous flowers which decorate her balconies, having her hair done, reminiscing about her driving test, showing off her stunning shoe collection and having dinner with her sister (her complete opposite!) and brother-in-law. This collection of vignettes provides more insight into who she really is than any straight-forward biography could. It is shot on 16mm film and looks great in all its grainy glory.
Appearances mattered to Juliane. She liked being taken care of by a man (her loving husband, now deceased). Somehow she managed to be mentored by the most famous astrologer in France. She takes pride in being part of her Montmartre community and in her gorgeous apartment building, the eponymous Maison du Bonheur.
That the assortment of images and stories is loose, jumping around in time and covering issues both minute and substantial perhaps makes viewing a challenge for the film-goer who is expecting a traditional melodrama or travelogue. I was surprised by how many people left in the middle of this charming and engaging portrait. Their loss. Juliane is ordinary and extraordinary, just like the film. Both are gentle, sparkling and full of little surprises.
Watch the trailer here.
Showing Sunday, October 1, 2017 at 6:00 PM at Vancity Theatre and Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 12:45 PM at International Village.