Architectures de la joie

It’s official: Québec is finally a country. To mark this historic moment, the Ministry of Culture recruits four flamboyant creators—trendy, visionary, and… just a little egocentric. Their mission: to create the opening show of the new state. 

“What’s your wildest dream? Reaching the pinnacle of success in your field? Getting in fantastic shape? Overcoming your addiction to food or your phone? Think about it for a few seconds… Can you see the dream? It’s right there, within reach... Are you ready to make it come true?” says the founder of Essor, Quebecer Éliza Williams.

A strike is on at the sawmill, reeking of sweat and lust. Beyond the picket lines, hungry eyes turn to Querelle, a worker who is impossibly handsome, perfectly free, and perhaps dangerous. Under the eyes of Jézabel, one of the few female workers at the mill, his provocative presence stirs up masculine desire and virility. Bottles fly and bats swing as rage explodes into violence.