Montreal-raised filmmaker Aaron Hancox says he misses his days in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. | Photo courtesy Aaron Hancox
Yet when people meet Hancox they are curious about his very first film, Cinema L’Amour, about the famous Montreal porn theatre of the same name. That film won Best Short Documentary at the 2007 Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF).
“The first time I walked into Cinema L’Amour I was a 20-year-old Concordia student, and I had no idea this theatre was an architectural gem,” says Hancox. “I had heard the legend of magician Harry Houdini being fatally punched there — which wasn’t true — but it is an odd place that serves a special niche.”
The film helped propel his career. “It is a film people still ask me about. I think people will go see a film about a porn theatre even if it’s a bad film, to be honest. So I don’t know how much credit I can take for making a good film!” Hancox says.
“But to have my film win at the MWFF was amazing, especially for it do so well as a student film. I was proud of the film, it got a lot of attention, and several years later it was actually screened in Cinema L’Amour during Nuit Blanche in front of a packed house, which was the greatest accomplishment! It was full circle for me.”
Jay Baruchel goes on road trip to Ireland and Scotland in Celtic Soul. | Photo courtesy Markham Street Films