Directed by Johanne Prégent

Written by Jacques Savoie

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Genre :  Dramatic

Length :  4 episodes of 45 minute each

Language:  French and dubbed in English and Spanish

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Summary:

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The Orphans of Duplessis tells the story of a group of young boys whose orphanage is thrown into turmoil after a secret deal made between two powerful — and supposedly separate — factions: the church and the state.

 

Recognizing a solution to their financial problems, the clergy transforms the boy’s orphanage into a psychiatric institute. To continually prove the raison d’ètre of this enterprise, the orphans are condemned to madness by their very ‘saviours’ and thus become prisoners of a spiralling situation with no return.

 

In this mini series inspired by real events in 1950s Quebec, the lives of innocent people fall into an atrocious and intolerable reality when the church and the government conspire in secret.

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Cast :

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Lawrence Arcouette

Joel Drapeau Dalpe

Xavier Morin Lefort

Julien Poulin

Helene Gregoire

John Marchand

Frederique Collin

Luc Guerin

 

Awards :

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FIPA - International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (Biarritz, France, January 1998)

Best Performance

Helene Gregoire

 

Gemini Prize 1997 (Montreal, Canada)

12 nominations:

 

Best Drama Series

Claudio Luca, Producer

 

Best Directing: Drama Series

Johanne Pregent

 

Best Screenplay

Jacques Savoie

 

Best overall cinematography

Pierre Mignot

 

Best Overall Sound: All Dramatic Categories:

Hans Peter Strobl, Serge Beauchemin, Mathieu Beaudin, Jerome Decarie, Marcel Pothier

 

Best Art Direction

Real Ouellette

 

Best costume

Michele Hamel

 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Francine Gagnon, Marie-France Cardinal

 

Best Original Score

Clode Hamelin

 

Best Performance by a Male Lead 

drama series

Lawrence Arcouette

 

Best female lead performance:

drama series

Helene Gregoire

 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

drama series

John Marchand