Underground () is a 2020 Canadian drama film, written and directed by Sophie Dupuis."Souterrain, de Sophie Dupuis : l’esprit de famille quand tout le reste s’écroule". Ici Radio-Canada, September 5, 2020. Produced by the Montreal-based company Bravo Charlie, the film stars Joakim Robillard as Maxime, a troubled miner in Val-d’Or, Quebec, who must attempt to rescue his coworkers when an explosion happens inside the mine.Sophie Rouillard, "«Souterrain»: la quête vers la résilience de Sophie Dupuis". Le Citoyen, September 30, 2020.
The cast also includes Théodore Pellerin as Julien, his friend and former coworker who has suffered from aphasia since being injured in a car accident for which Maxime was responsible, as well as James Hyndman, Guillaume Cyr, Catherine Trudeau, Mickaël Gouin, Chantal Fontaine, Bruno Marcil and Jean L'Italien.
The film entered production in 2019,Lauren Malyk, "Sophie Dupuis embarks on Souterrain". Playback, June 4, 2019. and was scheduled to premiere at the 2020 Festival du nouveau cinéma on October 7, 2020.André Duchesne, "Souterrain de Sophie Dupuis ouvrira le FNC". La Presse, August 18, 2020. The event was cancelled due to severe weather. It subsequently had its world premiere screening at the 2020 Whistler Film Festival,"Whistler Film Festival to open with 'Sugar Daddy,' 'In Her City'". CityNews, November 5, 2020. where Dupuis won the Borsos Competition award for Best Director of a Canadian Film.Lauren Malyk, "Little Orphans wins Best Canadian Feature at WFF". Playback, December 21, 2020.
The film was set to be theatrically released in the province of Quebec on April 30, 2021, but due to continued restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada its release was delayed, and the film finally opened commercially on June 4.Alex Rose, "Sophie Dupuis’s mining drama Souterrain finally sees the light of day". Cult MTL, June 3, 2021.
Underground was the opening film of the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma film festival on April 28, 2021.
Synopsis Maxime, a young miner from Val-d'Or, faces events that challenge his definition of masculinity. Thanks to the brotherhood he can count on in his working environment, Maxime sets out on his long journey on the road to redemption. But when an explosion erupts underground, the young man, newly graduated in mine rescue, plunges into the mine lair with the firm intention of bringing each of his colleagues back alive.
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Borsos Competition2020Best Director of a Canadian FilmSophie Dupuis Canadian Screen AwardsMay 20, 2021Best Motion PictureÉtienne HansezBest DirectorSophie DupuisBest ActorJoakim RobillardBest Original ScreenplaySophie Dupuis Prix IrisJune 6, 2021Best FilmÉtienne Hansez Charles-Henri Ramond, "La déesse des mouches à feu en tête des nominations". Films du Québec, April 26, 2021.Best DirectorSophie Dupuis Best Supporting ActorJames HyndmanThéodore PellerinRevelation of the YearJoakim RobillardBest ScreenplaySophie DupuisBest Costume DesignCaroline BodsonBest CinematographyMathieu LaverdièreBest EditingMichel GrouBest Original MusicPatrice Dubuc, Gaëtan GravelBest SoundLuc Boudrias, Frédéric Cloutier, Patrice LeBlancBest MakeupAudray Adam, Sandra RuelBest CastingMarjolaine Lachance Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival2021Outstanding French-Language Feature FilmSophie DupuisDonald Macdonald, "Sudbury entertainment briefs: New novel; Cinefest awards". Sudbury Star, October 3, 2021. Prix collégial du cinéma québécois2022Best FilmUnderground"Souterrain remporte le Prix collégial du cinéma québécois". Ici Radio-Canada, April 4, 2022.
References
External links
Souterrain (version in French with English subtitles) at Library and Archives Canada