''Mario'' is a 1984

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 ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

, set in the

Magdalen Islands The Magdalen Islands (french: Îles de la Madeleine ) are a small archipelago in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with a land area of . While part of the Province of Quebec, the islands are in fact closer to the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland th ...

, directed by

Jean Beaudin Jean Beaudin (6 February 1939 – 18 May 2019) was a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He directed 20 films since 1969. His film '' J.A. Martin Photographer'', was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, where Monique Mercure won the ...

and produced by the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

Plot

Mario (Petermann) is a 10-year-old

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

boy who is mute and

hard of hearing Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken la ...

. He has an 18-year-old brother whom he admires greatly. One day, Simon (Reddy) becomes involved with a woman and, as a result, their relationship becomes strained. Mario finds himself without his brother and his parents who are always watching over their island during the tourist season.

Production

The film, based on

Claude Jasmin Claude Jasmin (10 November 1930 – 28 April 2021) was a Canadian journalist, broadcaster, and writer. While very prolific, with almost 50 published titles to his credit, he is most famous for his 1972 novel '' La Petite Patrie'', an autobiogr ...

's ''La Sablière'', went overbudget.

Recognition

* 1985 Genie Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography - Won (Pierre Mignot) * 1985

Genie Award for Best Achievement in Overall Sound The Canadian Screen Award for Best Achievement in Sound Mixing is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best work by a sound designer in a Canadian film. Formerly known as Best Overall Sound, it was renamed to Best Sound Mi ...

- Won (Bruce Nyznik, Richard Besse, Hans Peter Strobl) * 1985 Genie Award for Best Achievement in Music - Original Score - Won ( François Dompierre) * 1985

Genie Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design The Canadian Screen Award for Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best Canadian film art direction/production design. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s ...

- Nominated (Denis Boucher) * 1985

Genie Award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing The Canadian Screen Award for Best Achievement in Sound Editing is awarded by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to the best sound editor on a Canadian film. The award was first presented in 1970 as part of the Canadian Film Awards, befo ...

- Nominated (David Evans, Wayne Griffin) * 1985

Genie Award for Best Motion Picture The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Motion Picture to the best Canadian film of the year.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Awards''. Stoddart Publishin ...

- Nominated (

, Hélène Verrier) * 1985

Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role to the best performance by a lead actor in a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years o ...

- Nominated ( Xavier Norman Petermann)

References

Works cited

External links