For its March RIDM+ film, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) is pleased to present a Montreal sneak preview of the intelligent and entertaining animated documentary The Sociologist and the Bear Cub (La sociologue et l’ourson), directed by Étienne Chaillou and Mathias Théry, on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 8 p.m. at Cinéma du Parc. The RIDM+ series is presented by Télé-Québec.

In February, RIDM+ explored racial tensions in the United States through the prism of the writings of James Baldwin. For its March film, the series crosses the ocean to delve into a bitter debate that has stirred passions in France for a decade. For several months in 2012-13, the country was locked in a struggle over a marriage equality bill introduced by the Hollande government. During the debate, sociologist Irène Théry, one of the architects of the proposed law, appeared in public frequently, to communicate the intent of the reform as clearly as possible. Her son Mathias and his creative partner Étienne Chaillou seized the opportunity to film Irène in her daily routine, secretly recording her phone conversations with Mathias, and shooting documentary footage as well as reconstructions – using teddy bears. The result is a film as playful as it is political, as intimate as it is universal, that delivers a measured, intelligent reflection on a major social issue. It is a touching, funny and unforgettable portrait of a mother-son relationship, and a thoroughly original chronicle of a pivotal moment for modern France.

Distributed by Diffusion Multi-Monde, The Sociologist and the Bear Cub (La sociologue et l’ourson) opens on April 7 at Cinéma Beaubien in Montreal and Cinéma Le Clap in Quebec City. 

More info on RIDM+, a monthly series of 5 screenings of major auteur documentaries, both recent and classic.