Working as a French-to-Spanish interpreter at a corn plant in the Richelieu Valley Quebec, Ariane (Ariane Castellanos) befriends Manuel (Marc-Andre Grondin), a migrant worker who’s left a family behind in Guatemala in search of better pay. Ariane begins to witness the abuse felt by the Spanish-speaking labourers. She’s forced to choose between turning a blind eye to protect her own job and standing up for the humanity of her fellow workers. Drawing from neo-realist traditions, beautifully photographed and elegantly constructed, Richelieu paints an undeniable portrait of a crisis unfolding across North America. Director Pier-Philippe Chevigny avoids didacticism and delivers an assured, emotionally resonant first feature which announces the arrival of a new Canadian talent.
September 29 & 30: Q&A with director Pier-Philippe Chevigny
Presented by
Media Partner
Ariane Castellanos, Marc-André Grondin, Nelson Coronado, Eve Duranceau, Luis Oliva
Canada/France/Guatemala
2023
Northern Lights
In French and Spanish with English subtitles
Depictions of Racism, Coarse Language, Violence, Crude Content
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Geneviève Gosselin-G. Milena Poylo, Gilles Sacuto, Alice Bloch, Jean-Francois Bigot, Camille Raulo
Screenwriter
Pier-Philippe Chevigny
Cinematography
Gabriel Brault Tardif
Editor
Amelie Labreche
Production Design
Yola Van Leeuwenkamp
Director
Pier-Philippe Chevigny
Pier-Philippe Chevigny is a filmmaker from Montreal, Quebec. His films combine contemporary sociopolitical subject-matter with a distinct visual style. In 2019, his short film Rebel received worldwide attention: after premiering at TIFF, it went on to screen at over 140 festivals. Pier-Philippe is currently working on a second feature co-written with Chloe Robichaud.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Tangles
Based on the graphic memoir by Vancouver artist Sarah Leavitt, Tangles is a stunning, hand-drawn animated feature about a cartoonist coming to terms with her mom’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Nominated for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes 2026.
Death Has No Master
When Caro returns to Venezuela to sell her late father’s cacao plantation, she finds the family mansion occupied by its former staff, who have no intention of leaving. After legal action proves ineffectual, Caro decides to dispense justice herself.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Once Upon a Time in Harlem splices together footage shot by William Greaves in 1972 of a group of Harlem Renaissance luminaries in conversation at Duke Ellington’s townhouse. The film is a living archive of memory, disagreement, style, and Black genius.
Nuisance Bear
Winner of the highly coveted Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Documentary, Nuisance Bear follows a polar bear through Churchill, Manitoba, where the town profits from bears as spectacle while treating their arrival as a problem.
Yasha
Yasha follows Hana, a young teacher in desperate need of money for her son's life-saving operation. Sidestepping melodrama, Naghi Nemati offers a compelling portrait of a strong woman fighting against impossible odds.