Cinema students land Forces AVENIR nominations

Excerpted from an article by Beverly Akerman

A group of five current students at Concordia's Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema were among the 2013 Forces AVENIR nominees: film animation student Marie-Josée Archambault and her team -- Noémie Boisclair, Edouard Dufour, Alfonso Herrera Salceda and Shahab Mihandhoust, who are all studying film production.

Now in its 15th edition, Forces AVENIR brings together government, public and private partners "to recognize, honour and promote" students developing into "socially conscious, active and responsible citizens." The prizes -- worth $15,000, $4,000 or $3,000 -- are conferred for individual achievement and for specific projects, in university, college and high-school categories.

Speaking for the group, Archambault says they were "super surprised and happy" to be finalists.

Their nominated project was Cirque Social, a short documentary about Machincuepa Circo Social, the Mexican branch of Cirque Du Monde. Created by Cirque de Soleil and based in more than 80 sites worldwide, Cirque Du Monde is a global citizenship program that uses circus arts as a catalyst for social change.

Archambault stresses the program's benefits for at-risk children and adolescents. It is, she says, about building physicality and learning about team work. "You can't walk on stilts without having two other people help hold your hands. This program really teaches them how to be in front of others, to work together and help each other. We saw real changes in behaviour."

Now Archambault and the team are hoping to turn the short into a full-length documentary film, despite the "million hours" necessary.