Rock Demers Movies

Focusing on the plight of poor Senegalese women, Madame Brouette follows the story of one such woman who has decided to take matters into her own hands on multiple occasions. Single mother Mati (Rokhaya Niang) toils daily by selling various goods at a nearby market, which she transports there via a large wheelbarrow -- prompting local residents to dub her "Madame Brouette." Having sworn off men since divorcing her abusive husband, Mati's example persuades her best friend Ndaxte (Kadiatou Sy) to also leave her thuggish husband. Mati's vow toward men gets temporarily put on hold once she meets slick-talking policeman Naago (Aboubacar Sadikh Ba) and the pair begin a wild fling. Mati grows increasingly aware of Naago's corruption -- as well as his penchant for womanizing -- just about the same time she realizes she's pregnant with his child. As Naago and Mati's relationship turns sour, Mati is forced to take matters into her own hands once again, but Naago's criminal activities increasingly put Mati and her family's lives in danger -- forcing the determined woman to take drastic measures to save her family. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide

In this bittersweet family drama, Joseph (Rushabh Patni) is a young boy from a poor family growing up in Diu, an island nation off the coast of India. Joseph's family arranges for the boy to receive a scholarship at a private Catholic boarding school, but Joseph has a hard time adjusting to his new environment; he grows homesick, misses his friends and relatives, and since charity students like himself are given less to eat, he's in a near-constant state of hunger. Eventually, Joseph is caught stealing food, which further alienates him from his classmates, but as it happens, Joseph wasn't taking the food for himself, but to help the family of a boy in even worse straits than himself. My Little Devil also stars Om Puri as a cook at the school who tries to help young Joseph. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

French-born Philippe Gautier, a former assistant to John Boorman, David Hamilton, and Helmut Newton, directed this beautiful Canadian nature drama examining the tragic reduction of elephants in the wild. In India of the '70s, teenage elephant-trainer Makbul grows close to elephant-calf Vikrama. By 1990, the introduction of modern forestry techniques eliminates the need for elephants to fell and move trees, prompting an auction sale of Vikrama. Makbul is distraught by the separation. Mistreated, Vikrama attacks and kills his new owner. Real-life mahouts (elephant riders) Jamedar Sabu Saab and Kawadi Makbul also served as the models for the characters they portray. Shown in competition at the 1998 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, this murder mystery is steeped in accusation as it chronicles the investigation into the deaths of a pair of Montagnais Indian fisherman who may have been shot by white game wardens who find them illegally fishing for salmon. The story is set in 1984 along the northeastern coast of Quebec and begins on the Maliotenam reserve when Salomon Ispatau's bloated corpse washes ashore, pierced with what looks like bullet holes. This naturally causes a stir amongst the residents. Roxane Lalo is most upset, for her brother Ulysse had gone out fishing around the same time as Salomon. At the time Salomon's body is discovered, a French marine biologist, Jean-Pierre Lafond, is there studying local whale migrations. Since his arrival, he has become friends with Roxane and it is with her that they find Ulysse's blood-covered body on a beach. The latest discovery causes even greater conflict. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this French-Canadian drama, a woman returns to her mother's farm accompanied by her daughter. They go there to reunite with the former prisoner of war who worked upon their land until he returned to Germany in 1946. But the man the woman remembers is not exactly the man she now sees, for he has become an old man with a preponderance for living in the past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this striking Czech fantasy, which combines live-action and animation, Alex (Ludek Navratil) is a young boy whose father is away on a long ocean voyage while his mother refuses to allow him to play with other boys his age. Alex becomes close friends with a neighborhood girl, Lucy (Katka Pokorna), which causes his schoolmates to taunt him mercilessly. One day, Alex gets a package from his father, which holds a caterpillar's cocoon. In time, the cocoon hatches, but instead of a butterfly, a fairy emerges, who soon engages Alex in a variety of magical adventures. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A young woman's real talent gets her mixed up with crooks selling fake art treasures in this comedy for the whole family. Jo (Nina Petronzio) is a 13-year-old girl who loves to draw and has a very special talent -- she can sketch and paint in a style that bears a startling resemblance to the work of Vincent Van Gogh. Jo's talent has won her a grant to art school, but she also discovers it can earn her pocket money when a man in a coffee shop sees her sketching and offers to pay her to do some drawings for him. Jo agrees, but regrets her decision when she discovers she's unwittingly become part of an art counterfeiting ring -- her drawings are being as sold as Van Gogh originals, with customers lining up to pay the multimillion-dollar price tags! Vincent and Me also features Christopher Forrest, Paul Klerk, and Tcheky Karyo as the ghost of Vincent Van Gogh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Tommy (Anthony Rogers) is a young stamp collector who gets his friend Ralph (Lucas Evans) to trade him a stamp from Ralph's father's collection in this engaging children's fantasy. Ralph and sister Nancy (Jill Stanley) try to buy it back from the local collectable store with no success. The siblings instead come up with a stamp collection from 1928 which includes a letter from a little boy. The letter contains magical rhymes that when recited shrink Ralph down to size. He is then able to travel around the world on various stamps to exotic places. Ralph learns that a rare collection of stamps awaits him when he arrives in Australia. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Also known as Red Riding Hood, Year 2000, this Hungarian/Canadian co-production is not for children. Director Marta Meszaros again dwells upon the travails of women trapped in oppressive society. This time, the Red Riding Hood legend is used metaphorically within the framework of a quasi-futuristic storyline. The "wolves" are of the human variety, and "friendly hunters" few and far between. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A 12-year-old misfit discovers he has a remarkable talent in this comic fantasy for the whole family. Peter (Rusty Jedwab) is a young boy who doesn't fit in at school, isn't very good at sports, and doesn't have many friends. One day, Peter's folks take him to see a magician perform, and the magician brings Peter up from the audience to help with a few tricks. Peter discovers he not only has a natural talent for magic, but also possesses powers of telekinesis, and he suddenly realizes he's found his calling in life. But if Peter was hoping that his magic skills would help him fit in better with those around him, he finds he's mistaken -- his schoolmates are not impressed and his parents are a bit frightened of their son's strange gifts. However, Peter finally gets his day in the sun when his talents allow him to help the government in a time of national crisis. Cudowne Dziecko also features Natasza Maraszek and Edward Garson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Filmed in Quebec, this children's fantasy was originally released as Tales for All #5. The principal character is a lovable goblin who befriends a group of children. The magical dwarf is visible only to the kids, leading to all sorts of complications with the local adult population. In the end, the children save the goblin from the evil machinations of the human villain, a despotic land-grabber. The film's lilting musical score, written by G. Trepanier and N. Dube, has been made separately available on tape. Great Land of Small was part of a series of kid's films designed for the dual market of TV and theaters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Canadian Dog Who Stopped the War is a children's film. More specifically, it is a children's Christmas film, and as such proved popular on the American cable-TV market. Even more specifically, it is an allegory, though not a heavy-handed one. Engaging in an after-school snowball fight, a group of kids learn a valuable lesson about the horrors of war-and, as indicated by the title, a little dog shall lead them. Cedric Jourde and Julien Elie head the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide