In English, the title of this film translates as The Legacy. It’s the third in a trilogy written and directed by Bernard Emond. It’s being presented at the RPL Theatre tonight at 7 p.m. as part of Les Rendez-vous du Cinema Quebec which is being hosted by Institut Francais at the University of Regina and the Conseil Culturel Fransaskois. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students.
Previous instalments in Emond’s trilogy include La Neuvaine (The Novena) in 2005 and Contre Toute Esperance (Summit Circle) in 2007. La Donation stars Jacques Godin as an elderly country doctor who enjoys a deep attachment to his patients. With retirement looming, he searches for a successor, and eventually convinces an emergency room doctor from Montreal (played by Elise Guilbault) to come to the small town of Abitibi replace him for a few weeks while he takes a holiday.
I won’t divulge any more of the plot, other than to note that while La Donation is set in Quebec, the dilemma the residents of Abitibi face is one that many small communities in Saskatchewan and across Canada face when it comes to the retention of physicians. Here’s the trailer.
And if you’re reading this early enough, as part of Les Rendez-vous, four short films will be screened at the Institut Francais theatre (LI215) beginning at 10:30 a.m. with discussion to follow.
