Concordia postdoctoral researcher and filmmaker Léa Clermont-Dion wins top honours at the Gémeaux Awards

Léa Clermont-Dion, a filmmaker and postdoctoral researcher at Concordia’s Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, shone brightly at the 38th Gémeaux Awards.

Her documentary Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age (Je vous salue salope : la misogynie au temps du numérique) clinched not one but two coveted awards at this year’s celebration of Canadian television and digital media broadcast in French.

The film, which Clermont-Dion co-directed and co-wrote with Guylaine Maroist, triumphed in the categories of Best Direction in a Documentary Program or Series: Society, History, Politics and Economy, and Best Research in a Documentary Program or Series, in partnership with the Rogers Documentary Fund.

Backlash, produced by La Ruelle Films, sheds a revealing light on the global prevalence of misogyny and online hate.

Clermont-Dion directed her more recent documentary, Janette et filles, which was produced by La Ruelle Films. The film earned the prestigious Gémeaux Award for Best Documentary: Biography or Portrait, Arts and Culture.

The documentary offers a fascinating dive into the life of the journalist, comedian and author Janette Bertrand.

“It’s an honour to receive these awards. I dedicated extensive research and effort to achieve this and I’m happy to see the results celebrated,” Clermont-Dion says.

“I love knowing that my projects have an impact on the public while addressing complex themes. I feel truly blessed.”

Her research primarily focuses on cyberbullying, violence against women and the empowerment of women in the media. In addition to Clermont-Dion’s impactful documentaries, she is the author of three books: La revanche des moches (2014), Les Superbes (2016) and Crève avec moi (2019).

What’s next for Clermont-Dion?

“I am launching the podcast Why So Much Hate? in collaboration with Savoir Média, produced by Concordia, in early October,” she shares. “Furthermore, on October 24, I will be releasing an essay about the legal process as experienced by victims of sexual assault.”

Find out more about Concordia’s Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance.

For more information on Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age, including screenings, visit Backlash the Film.