CARTE BLANCHE: DOCUMENTARY + MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Montreal, Monday, October 20, 2025 - This year, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) is pleased to inaugurate the Carte Blanche: documentary + musical performance. Presented by Télé-Québec, this new initiative reflects the desire to foster a dialogue between cinema and other artistic practices.
For this first edition, two figures from Montreal’s music scene were invited to shape an evening that mirrors their unique identity. The duo Bibi Club and the multidisciplinary artist Annie-Claude Deschênes (PyPy) will each present a documentary that resonates with their creative universe. Each screening will be followed by a musical performance, curated in part as a reflection of the work being shown. A free immersive experience, where image and sound mutually resonate.
CARTE BLANCHE TO BIBI CLUB - Tuesday, November 25
Bibi Club will present the documentary A Sound of My Own by Rebecca Zehr on Tuesday, November 25 at 8 p.m. in the main screening room of the Cinémathèque québécoise. Blending archives, performances, and images of everyday life, this film paints a portrait of musician Marja Burchard as she follows in the footsteps of her late father in the krautrock collective Embryo.
“Through a mix of archival footage and psychedelic animation, filmmaker Rebecca Zehr has created a film about music itself and the daily life of a woman in full control of her own destiny, who is pursuing a project in a male-dominated environment.” – Bibi Club
Following the screening, the duo will give a hybrid performance, inspired by the film’s music and their own compositions. Bibi Club is the musical project of vocalist and keyboardist Adèle Trottier-Rivard and guitarist Nicolas Basque.
CARTE BLANCHE TO ANNIE-CLAUDE DESCHÊNES - Thursday, November 27
On Thursday, November 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the main screening room of the Cinémathèque québécoise, Annie-Claude Deschênes will present General Idea: Art, AIDS and the Fin de siècle by Annette Mangaard. A portrait of the artists collective General Idea, this documentary made from extensive archives is a story of love, fame, overwhelming loss, and, ultimately, renewal.
“The Canadian collective General Idea has turned art into an act of resistance, subverting social codes with provocation and dark humour. Their radicalism resonates with the subversive energy I try to convey through my projects.” – Annie-Claude Deschênes
The screening will be followed by an outlandish performance by PyPy, a group with Annie-Claude Deschênes on lead vocals, known for defying the norms of traditional rock concerts.
About RIDM
Striving to showcase the most stimulating and diverse visions of documentary cinema, the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) offers audiences a unique program that brings together the works of established filmmakers and promising new talents, while focusing on creating encounters between artists and audiences.
The 28th annual RIDM will take place from November 20 to 30, 2025.
Information: ridm.ca / info@ridm.ca
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Caroline Rompré | pixelleX communications | 514-778-9294 | caroline@pixellex.ca