Yuri Yoshimura-Gagnon Movies
- 2005
After losing his father and his will to carry on, a suicidal 22-year-old embarks on an eye-opening journey of self-discovery in director Claude Gagnon's intimate family drama. After Ken awakens to discover that he has somehow survived a plunge from a bridge that by all accounts should have ended his life, his desperate mother enlists the aid of her estranged brother, Takuma, in shaking her son out of his current funk. An internationally renowned potter whose eccentric nature couldn't set him farther apart from Ken's late father, Uncle Takuma is an unpredictable outsider who lives by his own indecipherable moral code. When Ken arrives at his uncle's home and finds himself greeted by a disorienting blend of sake, art, sexual tension, and intrigue, the sense of wonder and curiosity that sadly seemed to wither away following the death of his father is gradually resuscitated by his mysterious new surroundings. The title of the film refers to a centuries-old method for firing Japanese pottery in a kiln. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Smiley, Tatsuya Fuji, (more)
- 1999
Histoires D'Hiver/Winter Stories is a nostalgic story set in Montreal in 1966, where 12-year-old Martin (Joel Drapeau-Dalpe) eats, sleeps and dreams hockey. Martin's favorite team is the Montreal Canadiens, an enthusiasm shared by his Uncle Maurice (Denis Bouchard), who loves to spin tales of the team's glorious past, but Martin's father seemingly couldn't care less about the icers. Meanwhile, Martin concocts a scheme to score tickets for a Montreal game by writing star player Henri Richard and claiming to be seriously ill, which does not go as he had hoped. When not thinking about hockey, Martin finds romance first entering his life thanks to his schoolmate Vera (Maude Gionet), and his bohemian English teacher introduces the class to protest music (in this case, Barry McGuire's Eve Of Destruction). Filmed on location in Montreal, Histoires D'Hiver/Winter Stories recieved enthusiastic notices for its strong performances and fine camerawork. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joel Drapeau-Dalpe, Denis Bouchard, (more)
A man must decide how long can he hold onto his dream in this drama. Tiff Wood (Colin Ferguson) is a world-class amateur rower whose dream is to compete in the Olympic games. While competition is fierce and Wood suffers more than his share of disappointments, in 1980 he makes the U.S. Olympic team and is thought to be a sure thing to bring home a gold medal in the Moscow games. Political tensions heat up between the United States and Russia, however, and President Jimmy Carter announces that America will be boycotting the Olympics. Crushed, Tiff sees only one option available to him -- to train himself to beat younger and stronger rowers so he can make the team in 1984. Based on the book The Amateurs by David Halberstam, Rowing Through was jointly produced by Japanese and Canadian production companies; the supporting cast includes Leslie Hope, Helen Shaver, and Peter Murnik. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colin Ferguson, Leslie Hope, (more)
- 1991
Jean and Colette are teen-aged sisters living in Toronto who jointly conceive a passionate interest in their new neighbor, a handsome, piano-playing Japanese man named Takahasi. They are a bit too young to engage in sexual acts with him, but as soon as they are able, they tentatively cooperate in wooing him, and the threesome shares at least one night together in bed. Later, as feuding adults, the girls consider their first passion and eventually work out a way to be reconciled with one another. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Macha Grenon
