Jacques Ménard

Sentenced to Life

This feature documentary tells the story of Diane Charron, a young woman who began a life sentence behind bars in 1981 when she was entangled in a friend's act of revenge and ended up stabbing a stranger to death. She had just turned 19. The film follows the story of Diane's life, from her own testimony and that of corrections officers, prison caseworkers and psychiatrists. Many show remarkable sympathy and affection for a troubled woman whose early life was marked by abuse. Sentenced to life is a strong film that raises difficult questions about prisoners with mental health problems.

View from the Summit

This feature documentary takes us back to April 20, 2001, as Quebec City prepares to host the 3-day Summit of the Americas. A 4-kilometre fence has been erected, cutting off the Upper Town from the rest of the city. Thirty-four heads of state from the Americas will meet behind closed doors to discuss agreements for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Those opposed to the FTAA are mobilizing and gathering in Quebec City, too. Several thousand delegates have come to participate in the People's Summit, and tens of thousands will march in protest. Six thousand police officers fill the streets and it looks as if the historic Quebec capital is under siege. The local population fears the worst. Will the Quebec capital become a battleground? Shot in cinéma vérité style by 7 of Quebec's best documentary filmmakers, View from the Summit vividly portrays what happens when passionate and creative protesters clash with the ideologies of those in power.