After 16 years of marriage and two children, François and Julie have lost their spark in the bedroom. In an effort to reconnect, they decide to open up their relationship and rediscover their sexuality — but polyamory isn’t as easy as they hoped. Juggling family life while searching for matches on a swingers’ app, the couple find themselves in a series of awkward foursomes, and trust issues begin to complicate their experiment. However, as their paths diverge, new pleasures begin to reawaken dormant feelings.
The feature-length directorial debut of Eric K. Boulianne (who co-writes and stars alongside Catherine Chabot), Follies is a laugh-out-loud sex comedy and a relatable depiction of marriage that recognizes the distinctions between love, sex, and intimacy. Frank in its portrayals of BDSM and kink, Boulianne’s film never loses sight of communication as the key ingredient to a relationship. Full of cheeky cinematic references to marital classics such as Scenes From a Marriage and Eyes Wide Shut, this is a bawdy riot with a heart of gold.
Presented by
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Media Partner
Eric K. Boulianne, Catherine Chabot, Florence Blain Mbaye, Étienne Galloy, Sarah Chouinard Poirier, Simone Bellemare-Ledoux
Canada
2025
In French with English subtitles
At International Village
At The Rio
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Hany Ouichou, Laurie Pominville
Screenwriter
Alexandre Auger, Eric K. Boulianne
Cinematography
François Messier-Rheault
Editor
Myriam Magassouba
Original Music
Peter Venne
Eric K. Boulianne
Photo by Priscillia Piccoli
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