Oscilloscope Laboratories Archives

Posted June 18, 2021 Female Filmmakers

Les nôtres

In the tight-knit community of Saint-Adeline, Quebec, a scandal is quietly rising to the surface. The town is still reeling after a major tragedy five years earlier. 13 year old Magalie (Emilie Bierre) is navigating the aftermath of her father’s death, high school, dance classes and her secret relationship with “Taz”. When Magalie collapses during dance rehearsal, she’s brought to the hospital where the doctor informs her mother Isabelle (Marianne Farley ) that Magalie is pregnant. Everyone thinks that Manu, the young Mexican immigrant being fostered by Chantal Grégoire (Judith Baribeau) and her husband, Mayor Jean-Marc Ricard (Paul Doucet), is the father. But not all is as it seems. Magalie refuses to reveal the identity of the father, which comes at a great cost to her well-being.

Directed and co-written by Jeanne Leblanc, Les nôtres is a solemn yet powerful social drama. It explores the indestructible nature of small communities, anti-immigrant sentiment and social power dynamics. It’s fascinating to see how Emilie’s pregnancy causes relationships to fray. It can be an uncomfortable movie to watch especially due to its subject matter. However, once you start watching the film, you won’t be able to step away. Recommended.

Les nôtres is distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories and is available in select theaters and on demand.

Posted October 13, 2020 Documentaries

Martin Margiela: In His Own Words

“He was the first to do many things.”

Martin Margiela was a disruptor in the fashion world. An avant-garde designer, Margiela became known for shaking things up in an industry that was already prone to convention breaking and disruption. The Belgian-born Margiela knew he wanted to be a fashion designer by the age of 7. He studied in Antwerp, worked as an assistant to Jean Paul Gaultier and quickly developed his own brand. Margiela made a splash in the fashion scene during the early ’80s with highly conceptual designs and his mysterious persona. Margiela knew he wanted his name attached to his work but insisted on anonymity. He never made public appearances, did not show his face to anyone outside of his close circle of employees, collaborators and models, and declined all interviews. The anonymity was a type of self-preservation; a way to protect his creative flow. Margiela’s designed challenged fashion conventions, stirred up controversy and because he never attached his image to his brand, when he abruptly left the fashion industry in 2009, his business transformed into Maison Margiela and would continue on, forever cementing his legacy.

“His hands, his movements, the admiration he has for handcraft, and, most of all, the love he puts in all his creations make us feel his presence at any moment.”
Director Reiner Holzemer on Martin Margiela

Directed by Reiner Holzemer, Martin Margiela: In His Own Words unpacks the history and inspirations behind this legendary designer and offers viewers direct access to the man himself. We never see Margiela’s face, we only hear his voice and see his hands as they open boxes, puts together designs and reveal images and designs from his previous work. The documentary also features many interviews with other designers, former employees, models, critics and fashion experts. There is plenty of archival footage of Margiela’s groundbreaking fashion shows and lingering close-ups on his many designs.

Holzemer offers a compelling portrait of a creative genius who worked on his own terms and put everyone else out of fashion with his edgy and provocative designs.