Children of Total Refusal

the Children of Total Refusal is a documentary film carried out by Manon Barbeau, produced by Eric Michel (National office of Film of Canada). It left in 1998 at the time of the fiftieth birthday launching the proclamation Total Refus.

Context

The fiftieth birthday of the launching of the proclamation Total Refus gives place to a retrospective with the Musée of civilization. Manon Barbeau meets the children of the signatories there to be started with his François brother whom it did not have the occasion to know before. It is discovered that it (at three years) and François (at one year) were given up by their parents who then separated. Francois, placed in a family of reception in Abitibi, suffers from psychological disorder. The freedom of their parents is questioned. Aren't they, them, today, in a situation worse than their parents?

Manon meets two signatories: Madeleine Arbor, full with heat, then Marcelle Ferron, moderate. Chacunes express the direction which they retain of proclamation. For the first, each signatory developed according to the talent which it had. Second puts forward the positive side of proclamation: “Place with: …, place with freedom, places at the love…”

The father

Manon meets then Renee Borduas, girl of Paul-Emile Borduas. She also suffered from the separation of her parents. After the launching of proclamation, his/her father found himself without work. He left only, Gaby keeping the guard of the children. It re-examined her father only twice!

The father, who is? Manon questions to it his, Marcel. In situation to paint, it also takes time to answer… For him, there exists a distinction to be made between the physical father and the spiritual father. He recognizes Paul-Emile Borduas like his spiritual father, that which put it at the world spiritually.

The thesis

Starting from the remarks of his/her father, Manon extrapolates: “Borduas, the spiritual father of my father, had twenty years more than the signatories. This thinker visionary was thus my spiritual grandfather… I was among the first children of modern Quebec of the reconstituted burst families.” And it continues: “Which was the heritage of the others, of the Riopelle parents who were two signatories? ”

It meets Sylvie then Yseult. Sylvie, perhaps in compensation with an emotional lack, chose to have four children whom she cherishes. Yseult works to gather the work of his/her father…

Case study

Manon meets Jean-Paul Riopelle at the edge of water. “ - Speak to me a little Borduas!

- Hum… That done that a long time!

- There are many signatories who regarded it as their father… Not you?

- Not!”

A great silence creates for itself in a difficult conversation, made negation. “

- You lost the taste with the life?

- That made a long time! ”

Then Manon points out those which one would have choked their cry: Muriel Guilbault and Claude Gauvreau which committed suicide.

The antithesis

Renee Borduas protests: “Me I refuse to say that if one does not succeed it is the fault of the parents! ” “What is interesting in the life is to make it… make its life with oneself! ” “In period of war… the characters appear. ”

Renee interprets the period of the black boards and white of her father like an attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable one. “It has succeeds finally. The black and the white sing! ”

In a museum in religious matter, Manon lets his/her François brother consider statues of angels…

The mother

Then Manon undertakes to make investigation into his/her mother, Suzanne. She discovers on microfilm the correspondence that she had with Borduas between 1949 and 1952. She reads the letter where his/her mother announces in Borduas her decision all to leave.

Why, for which has T it broken? Brief replies bring: Madeleine Arbor, the photographer signatory Maurice Perron, Marcelle Ferron… The latter specifies that it is the poverty which divided the group of the Automatistes… Suzanne would have possibly had a love (temporary) for an English of London… What would have given him wings…

Rejected

It meets Catherine Mousseau, girl of Jean-Paul, which although rejected by his/her father at ten years, knew to make its life firmly.

Then Manon questions his/her father. On the departure of Suzanne, the loss of contact with François… There, silence… gestural nervous… rationalization. “In the life, it is necessary to go beyond that! ”

To join again

François learns in Manon that it has already, around 18 years, been able to join his mother by telephone. On its side, Manon found a book which she wrote: dawns fulminant . Then, in an exposure, in company of Renee Borduas, she sees a table of her mother: the bridge Mirabeau , almost entirely red. She touches the signature: “Meloche 62”. Moved, she cries.

Then, with Renee, it leaves for Dominican Republic renconter her Paul brother. The son of Paul-Emile Borduas explains: “Dad was one of the links of an evolution… of a advance on the level of the conscience. That, they is old million years, then that continues! ” It specifies: “There was well violence in all that… But there was well violence to get rid of the old myths! Then it was not easy to invent the new ones!”

Intercalated, a scene where François presents each character of his collection of cuddly toys.

The hope

Marcel opens with apprehension a letter of a museum for which it offered to expose his works. Taking note of a refusal, it ruffled the letter before rejecting it, obviously furious.

Then it is reasoned: “Art it is a little like a cry, a need. At home it is that. It is a need for writing as people need to sing, to dance…”

Manon questions it: “ - In the first Borduas times, you said: " The hope is grand". Is the hope always also large today?

- It is different! There is no more today of illusion of success, of recognition… It is rather a very large insurance… but… of the quality which I make, of the personality of my own writing. And I am sure that what I currently do will be essential.”

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