''February 15, 1839'' (french: 15 février 1839) is a 2001

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

historical drama film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

. Directed by

Pierre Falardeau Pierre Falardeau (December 28, 1946 – September 25, 2009) was a Québécois film and documentary director, pamphleteer and noted activist for Quebec independence. Falardeau wrote at least one book, ''Rien n'est plus précieux que la libert� ...

, it is about the incarceration at the

Pied-du-Courant Prison The Pied-du-Courant Prison (french: Prison du Pied-du-Courant) is a prison museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada near the Saint Lawrence River and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Overview The original plan for a prison in Montreal was designed by ...

and the execution by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging i ...

there of

Patriote The patriotes movement was a political movement that existed in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) from the turn of the 19th century to the Patriote Rebellion of 1837 and 1838 and the subsequent Act of Union of 1840. The partisan embodiment o ...

participants of the

Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (french: rébellion du Bas-Canada), commonly referred to as the Patriots' War () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now southe ...

. Those rebels sought to make

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...

, now

, a republic independent from the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. It features as characters the historical figures François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, his wife Henriette and

Charles Hindelang Charles Hindelang (March 29, 1810 – February 15, 1839) was a French-born military man who fought for the independence of Lower Canada (present-day Quebec). For these actions, he was hanged by the British authorities. Born in Paris, he also ha ...

Synopsis

In the aftermath of the failed 1837–38 rebellion in Lower Canada, 800 rebels are held in the Prison de Montréal. The film opens on February 14, 1839, the day when leader Marie Thomas Chevalier De Lormier (Luc Picard) and his comrade-in-arms (Frédéric Gilles) are told they will be hanged in 24 hours. Director Pierre Falardeau makes no doubt about where his sympathies lie, but the film is as much about human beings confronting death as it is polemic, and there are tender scenes when De Lormier's wife (Sylvie Drapeau) visits him one last time. Pierre Falardeau said that

Telefilm Canada Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation reporting to Canada's federal government through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. Headquartered in Montreal, Telefilm provides services to the Canadian audiovisual industry with four regional offices in V ...

approved

Michel Brault Michel Brault, OQ (25 June 1928 – 21 September 2013) was a Canadian cinematographer, cameraman, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He was a leading figure of Direct Cinema, characteristic of the French branch of the National ...

's 1999 movie '' Quand je serai parti... vous vivrez encore'' as an excuse to initially deny funds for ''15 février 1839''.

Release and awards

It released in the United States by

Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...

on January 26, 2001. It won four

Prix Jutra The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.Luc Picard Luc Picard (born 24 September 1961) is a French Canadian actor, director and comedian. He was born on September 24, 1961, in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles. Early life and education Picard was born ...

), Supporting Actress (Sylvie Drapeau), Art Direction and Sound.

Critical acclaims

"It’s certainly not the masterpiece some ''indépendantiste'' viewers see in the film, but it’s also not the insufferable, propagandistic dreck various English-language critics accuse it of being." – Maurie Alioff, ''Take One: Film in Canada''

Cast

Luc Picard Luc Picard (born 24 September 1961) is a French Canadian actor, director and comedian. He was born on September 24, 1961, in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles. Early life and education Picard was born ...

- François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier *

Sylvie Drapeau Sylvie Drapeau (born 1962) is a Canadian actress and writer from Baie-Comeau, Quebec.Marie-France Bornais"«La terre» de Sylvie Drapeau: se tourner vers la lumière" ''Le Journal de Québec'', May 4, 2019. As an actress, she is most noted for he ...

- Henriette De Lorimier * Frédéric Gilles -

Denis Trudel Denis Trudel (born July 18, 1963) is an actor and a politician from Quebec, Canada. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 election in the district of Longueuil—Saint-Hubert as a member of the Bloc Québécois. Electoral ...

- Jacques Yelle *

Julien Poulin Julien Poulin (born April 20, 1946) is Canadian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He has portrayed numerous roles in several popular Quebec films and series. Elvis Gratton films His most memorable role was Elvis Gratton in ...

- Curé Marier *

Yvon Barrette Yvon Barrette (born September 16, 1946) is a Canadian actor from Alma, Quebec. He is best known for his portrayal of goaltender Denis Lemieux in 1977's '' Slap Shot''.Mike Mastovich"‘Slap Shot’ at 40: Goalie Denis Lemieux still a Johnstown fav ...

- Osias Primeau

References

External links