EVICTED CITY

Laurence Turcotte-Fraser

& Priscillia Piccoli

Subjects: Portraits , Society , Urban Planning

Directed by

Laurence Turcotte-Fraser & Priscillia Piccoli

Languages

French, English

Produced by

Dominique Dussault, Laurence Turcotte-Fraser, Priscillia Piccoli - Fraser Films

80 min., Documentary, Québec, Canada, 2023

Montreal — one of the few remaining affordable cities in North America — is now in the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis. An intimate portrait of socio-political resistance, this multilayered film explores the human impact of real estate speculation on the cities of tomorrow.

Synospsis

Montreal, Canada. One of North America’s last remaining affordable cities is now in the midst of an unprecedented housing crisis. As a result, the face of homelessness is visibly changing. “Renovictions” are on the rise while demand in homeless day centres explodes. In the Plateau Mont-Royal — a neighbourhood synonymous with gentrification — a 90-unit building named Manoir Lafontaine becomes the symbol of renoviction resistance in Quebec. An intimate portrait of a socio-political crisis, this multilayered film explores the human impact of real estate speculation on the cities of tomorrow.

 

Crew

Cinematography : Laurence Turcotte-Fraser

Editing : Laurence Turcotte-Fraser, Priscillia Piccoli

Sound design : Francis Gauthier

Sound mix : Joey Simas

Sound recording : Priscillia Piccoli

En bas de ça, c'est pas encore fait

Direction

Laurence Turcotte-Fraser

Laurence Turcotte-Fraser is an emerging filmmaker first known for her short film Domino (Regards 2018), as well as her director of photography work (L’étrange province, Les Jaunes, Blast Beat). Her first feature-length documentary, The End of Wonderland(2021), was released theatrically in Canada and travelled internationally (IDFA, RIDM, OUTFEST LA, BFI FLARE). This eccentric portrait of erotic artist Tara Emory allowed her to explore her love for direct cinema and to find a human approach both in front of and behind the camera. With her second feature film Evicted City, co-directed with Priscillia Piccoli, she continues her documentary artistic approach by scrutinizing the housing crisis in her home city, Montreal.

 

Filmography

EVICTED CITY, 80 min, Documentary, 2023

THE END OF WONDERLAND, 85 min, Documentary, 2021

UN AUTRE JOUR, 9 min, Documentary, 2018

DOMINO, 5 min, Fiction, 2017

MARÉE, 11 min, Fiction, 2017

L’ÂME COINCÉE ENTRE DEUX MORCEAUX DE TÔLE, 18 min, Documentary, 2013

LE TEMPS D’ÉRIGER UN CLOCHER, 18 min, Documentary, 2012

Priscillia Piccoli

Priscillia Piccoli is an emerging filmmaker known for her short film Mathieu (Bell Fund Prize, Fantasia International Film Festival) and her short documentary As Hard As Ice (Prix d’Unis TV et Réalisatrices Équitables at the 2020 Regions Race). Committed to direct cinema, Priscillia uses the 7th to find the silver lining in social-political dilemmas. During the first year of the pandemic, while training as a social worker in a homeless day center, she questioned the storm to come in her hometown, Montreal. With her first feature film Evicted City, co-directed with Laurence Turcotte-Fraser, Priscillia launches a cry from the heart by granting the right to speak to the evicted people of a metropolis in full change.

 

Filmography

TANT QU’IL RESTERA DE LA GLACE, 9 min, Documentary, 2020

PARTIR POUR MIEUX REVENIR, 6 min, Documentary, 2019

LES 4 CHEVALIERS, Série, 2018 à 2019

MONTREAL DEAD END, 86 min, Fiction, 2018

L’ÉVANGILE DE L’EAU, 5 min, Fiction

FEMME IDÉALE, 2 min, Fiction, 2017

MATHIEU, 14 min, Fiction, 2016

Awards

Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec
Prix du public Jean-Marc Vallée Québec