Vic and Flo Saw a Bear (French: Vic+Flo ont vu un ours) is a 2013 Canadian drama film written and directed by Denis Côté. The film stars Pierrette Robitaille and Romane Bohringer as former cellmates who reunite after Victoria is released from prison and move to rural Quebec. It premiered in competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Alfred Bauer Prize.
| Vic and Flo Saw a Bear | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| French | Vic+Flo ont vu un ours |
| Directed by | Denis Côté |
| Written by | Denis Côté |
| Produced by | Sylvain Corbeil Stéphanie Morissette |
| Starring | Pierrette Robitaille Romane Bohringer Marc-André Grondin |
| Cinematography | Ian Lagarde |
Production companies | La Maison de prod. Metafilms |
| Distributed by | FunFilm Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
| Budget | C$2.2 million |
Synopsis
editAfter being released from prison, Victoria moves to a remote cabin in rural Quebec, where she is monitored by Guillaume, a young parole officer. She is joined by Florence, a former cellmate with whom she had been intimate in prison. As the two women try to rebuild their lives outside prison, unresolved events from the past threaten their fragile new arrangement.[1][2]
Cast
editThe cast includes:[3]
- Pierrette Robitaille as Victoria
- Romane Bohringer as Florence
- Marc-André Grondin as Guillaume
- Marie Brassard as Jackie / Marina St-Jean
- Georges Molinar as Émile Champagne
- Olivier Aubin as Nicolas Smith
- Pier-Luc Funk as Charlot Smith
- Guy Thauvette as Yvon Champagne
- Ramon Cespedes as Jackie’s accomplice
- Dany Boudreault as the go-kart driver
- Johanne Haberlin as the bar manager
- Ted Pluviose as the lover
- Raoul Fortier-Mercier as the cadet
Production
editThe film was produced by La Maison de prod. and Metafilms. It was written and directed by Denis Côté. Filming took place from August 13 to September 16, 2012, and the film had an approximate budget of C$2.2 million.[3]
Reception
editAwards and nominations
editAt the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, the film premiered in competition and won the Alfred Bauer Prize.[4][5] It also won Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2013 Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie and the Bayard d’or for Best Screenplay at the 2013 Festival international du film francophone de Namur.[1]
In 2014, the film won the Prix collégial du cinéma québécois for Best Film.[1][6] At the 16th Jutra Awards, Pierrette Robitaille won Best Actress, while the film was also nominated for Best Director for Côté, Best Supporting Actress for Brassard, Best Screenplay for Côté, and Most Successful Film Outside Quebec.[7][8]
Romane Bohringer received a Vancouver Film Critics Circle nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2013.[9]
Critical response
editBoyd van Hoeij of Variety described it as a “hard-to-classify” film that shifts between menace, revenge drama and romance, and called it Côté’s “most accomplished work yet”.[10]
Filmdienst described the film as understated and built around unusual characters and a mysterious atmosphere. The review said it draws viewers into an unpredictable reality, finding it entertaining but also somewhat cerebral.[11]
References
edit- 1 2 3 "Vic and Flo Saw a Bear". Cinémathèque québécoise. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ Knegt, Peter (11 February 2013). "Quebec film Vic and Flo Saw a Bear premieres in Berlinale competition". Toronto Star. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- 1 2 Ramond, Charles-Henri (2 August 2013). "Vic + Flo ont vu un ours – Film de Denis Côté". Films du Québec (in French). Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Berlinale 2013: Competition Now Complete" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "International Jury 2013". berlinale. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ Ramond, Charles-Henri (22 March 2014). "Denis Côté remporte le Prix collégial du cinéma québécois". Films du Québec. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ Cummins, Julianna (24 March 2014). "'Strong' showing from Louis Cyr at 2014 Jutra Awards". Playback.
- ↑ Moreault, Éric (27 January 2014). "Prix Jutra: Louis Cyr champion des nominations". Le Soleil (in French). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "And the 2014 VFCC nominees are...". Vancouver Film Critics Circle, 22 December 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ van Hoeij, Boyd (10 February 2013). "Vic + Flo ont vu un ours". Variety. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Vic+Flo ont vu un ours". Filmdienst (in German). Retrieved 11 May 2026.