Wednesday April 16th | 18h30 ouverture des portes et 19h00 projection
French – subtitled in English
Le Labo | Studio 277 – 401 Richmond
Director: Nadine Valcin
As every year, Le Labo is proud to celebrate Canadian Cinema Day with Reel Canada by offering a specific program that reflects its values and the artists it supports. This year, Labo member Nadine Valcin is in the spotlight for this second evening (2/2) with her film Simply Johanne, released in 2024.
A poignant 75-minute portrait of Johanne Harelle, a Canadian model with an extraordinary career. An iconic figure, she made history by becoming one of the first Afro-descendant models to make her mark on the North American scene.
Once abandoned on the doorstep of an orphanage in Montreal, Johanne Harrelle, talented artist, actress and one of the first black models in North America, led a life in her image: complex and audacious. Through archival footage, interviews with those closest to her and performances of her writings by three contemporary actresses, Johanne, tout simplement finesse reveals the trajectory of a magnetic, passionate woman who constantly opposed the expectations of her time.
Meet the team
Writing and direction: Nadine Valcin
Director of photography: Philippe Lavalette
Sound designer: Olivier Léger
Production designer: Alex Guèvremont
Editing: Katharine Asals
Sound Design: Luc Raymond
Sound Mix : Chris Leon
Color Grading : Tony Manolikakis
Music : Jacques Kuba Séguin
Actresses : Nadine Jean, Schelby Jean-Baptiste, Garihanna Jean-Louis
Protagonists : Abla Osman, Isoloy Katshingu, Danielle Ouimet
Executive Producers : Yves Bisaillon, Nadine Valcin
Nadine Valcin is a Haitian-born filmmaker based in Toronto. Her short fiction, documentary, installation and virtual reality works explore memory, identity, language and the historical presence of the Afrodescendant community in Canada. She has directed four documentaries for the National Film Board (NFB), including Black, Bold and Beautiful (1999) and Une école sans frontières (2005). Nadine is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including two Chalmers Fellowships for artistic research. She holds a Professional Diploma in Architecture from McGill University and an MFA from OCAD University. She was artist-in-residence at York University’s Osgoode Law School and at Library and Archives Canada as part of the Archive/CounterArchive research-creation project, and currently teaches at Sheridan College outside Toronto.