Go Films is pleased to announce the start of shooting of the feature film Le Plongeur, directed by Francis Leclerc. The shooting, which will start on February 14th, will continue until March 31st, in Montreal. Two days of shooting are also scheduled on May 24 and 25. Scripted by Eric K. Boulianne and Francis Leclerc, Le Plongeur is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stéphane Larue, published by Éditions Le Quartanier. A phenomenal critical and popular success when it was published in October 2016, the novel has received several awards and distinctions such as the Prix des libraires and the Prix Senghor.
The feature film boasts an impressive cast led by Henri Picard in the lead role of Stéphane. Charles-Aubey Houde (Bébert), Joan Hart (Bonnie), Maxime De Cotret (Greg), Fayolle Jean Jr (Renaud), Robin L’Houmeau (Jonathan), Marie-Ève Beauregard (Sarah), Zachary Evrard (Nick), Gabrielle Côté (Séverine), Jade Charbonneau (Marie-Lou), Guillaume Laurin (Malik), Anthony Therrien (Will), Julien Leclerc (Alex), Stephan Allard (Stéphane’s father), Justin Leyrolles-Bouchard (Rémi), Luka Limoges (Carl), Emmanuel Schwartz (Benjamin), Eric K. Boulianne (Christian) and Madani Tall (Vincent) complete the cast.
“When my publisher confirmed five years ago that Le Plongeur would be adapted to film, I was delighted, but it seemed far away, unreal. Last December, before the holidays, Francis Leclerc and Eric K. Boulianne invited me to dinner to unveil the cast, more than two years after the end of the meetings around the script. The feeling of unreality had disappeared. Today I feel a kind of joyful excitement. You can tell the same story in many ways, and I’m very excited to see what Le Plongeur will become on screen, in the hands of Francis and Eric,” says author Stéphane Larue. “Just recently, I had the chance to meet some of the actors and crew, and to watch the camera tests. For a writer, it’s an extraordinary feeling to see your characters take shape, to see them move, to hear them. I recognized them, but they were already becoming others. To become the characters of Francis Leclerc, of Eric K. Boulianne, to become the creation of the actresses and actors. I was discovering them as if for the first time, which is perhaps the best way for me, as I complete the first draft of my second novel, to wish them good luck and to say see you again,” he concludes.
Le Plongeur is produced by Marie-Claude Poulin, written by Eric K. Boulianne and Francis Leclerc and directed by Francis Leclerc. Steve Asselin is the director of photography for the film, Mathieu Lemay is the art director and Julie Bécotte and Isabelle Malenfant are the costume designer and editor. Bruno Dubé and Nicole Robert are executive producers of the film.
Montreal, winter 2002. Stéphane, 19 years old, fan of Metal, student in graphic design, dreams of becoming an illustrator. But for months he has been caught in a threatening spiral: he is addicted to games. Indebted, without an apartment, avoiding his friends to whom he owes money, Stéphane takes a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant to get by. He discovers the hectic life of a restaurant as the holidays approach and its gallery of characters. Le Plongeur is produced by Go Films, a subsidiary of Sphere Média, with the financial support of SODEC, TELEFILM CANADA, Bell Media, the Québecor Fund, as well as provincial and federal tax credits. Distributed by Les Films Séville, a subsidiary of eOne, Le Plongeur will be released in Quebec in 2023. Wazabi Films is responsible for international sales of the film.
