DPJ

So I really don't know what was going on with the first film that I saw, but this one went rush, so people are definitely going to the festival.
This is a Quebecois film. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. My sense is that the topic of this film is also something that people are keen on. I noticed that there were some young adults in the audience who were talking notes during the film. Comments from audience during the Q&A indicated that there were quite a few folks from the DPJ and related organizations/fields/partners in attendance.
This film is about the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse, which is Quebec's child protection services. I'm undecided about whether the film is focused on cases, or workers of the DPJ. In the Q&A, the filmmaker indicated that he started the process focusing on the youth, but then turned his focus on the workers. I think he does both angles justice. The film provides a great "behind the scenes" look at what the DPJ does. From supporting the very young, to those nearing adulthood. It presents issues with compassion really not putting blame on anyone for challenging circumstances. And ultimately, I think that's what the DPJ is trying to do - support the youth and do what's best for them. Not pointing fingers, but creating solutions and finding the best plan for the youth.
The film ended abruptly. I wanted more. Or closure. But how else could the film have ended? It made the point very clear, there's no ending. The youth's journey goes on. The workers jobs continue. Cases are ongoing. There is no "the end".

So the intro to the film was in French. The Q&A was too. I mean, I have been wrestling with a lot of things recently and really reflecting hard about this and that, but the experience of going to this screening was another example of how things are different. It's hard to quantify how much I was able to comprehend. The movie have English subtitles that I read, but I also listened to the French dialogue. All of the questions asked during the Q&A happened to be asked in French. For the most part, even though dialogue was quick, I was fine during the Q&A but I was starting to feel a little fatigued and can't say for sure that I followed 100%. But was it that I wasn't following, or that I was picking and choosing what to take in. And living in this bilingual context is funny too - I find that if I have conversations in French or am in a French environment like I was for the screening, it's more challenging for me to recall it later on or even discuss it with someone else in English. In the moment, I feel like I am taking it in, but as soon as the moment passes, a part of it is lost. I suppose this might be an indication that I'm not fully fluent in French? Anyway, I think about belonging and access. I think about community. I think about a lot of things.

But ultimately, I liked this film and would recommend it to others.

Picture courtesy of: www.ridm.ca