Maria

Maria is in her thirties and has very little in her life. She’s the black sheep of her surroundings: unemployed and unmarried, while her two best friends seem to be doing well professionally and romantically. In addition, her mother is slowly dying of cancer, and she is saddened to depart without seeing her daughter flourish. Maria takes matters into her own hands by finding a job, so that her mother can leave this world in peace. After several unsuccessful attempts at odd jobs, she finds herself working in a high school as a substitute teacher. The environment seems rather hostile, but by getting to know the young people and the staff, she may be able to grow up and find her place.

This is a project initiated by Mariana Mazza, which she co-wrote with Justine Philie, co-produced, and in which she plays the lead role. She reunites with Alec Pronovost, director of her film-show FEMME TA GUEULE and a regular at Fantasia, where he has presented the short films JEEP BOYS and TONY SPEED, among others. In the role of Maria, Mazza demonstrates a strong ease in front of the camera that allows her to showcase both her comedic talent and an excellent dramatic fiber that gives a beautiful humanity to her character. Around her, we find an all-star cast, including Florence Longpré, Alice Pascual, Pascal Cameron, Korine Côté, Isabel Dos Santos... and several surprise appearances! Mariana Mazza is a strong voice for her generation, and as in her shows, she deals with tough subjects head-on and without inhibition: the social pressure to succeed, to have children, fat-shaming, grief... and all this with humour! There’s situational comedy, absurdity, and above all excellent dialogue, always in symbiosis with Alec Pronovost's energetic direction. MARIA is a project made with a lot of creative freedom and a lot of heart, a film that should make a lot of noise this year in Quebec! – Translation: Rupert Bottenberg