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"CONTACT" Requiem for a Word

2020 7 min
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An investigation into how language is changing in the age of COVID-19. The complete upheaval of social relationships today is leading to the reinterpretation of certain terms, which have suddenly taken on a fatal connotation. This film is a funeral mass in memory of the word “contact.”

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"CONTACT" Requiem for a Word
  • The Curve
    The Curve
    2020 7 editions
    The Curve is the pulse of our nation, beating in its own time during this unprecedented time. Our creators, with their talent and insight, are bringing to life the voices of Canadians touched by COVID-19, both near and far. The Curve is an online destination where these experiences will be expressed in animation, documentary and digital storytelling formats.

Details

An investigation into how language is changing in the age of COVID-19. The complete upheaval of social relationships today is leading to the reinterpretation of certain terms, which have suddenly taken on a fatal connotation. This film is a funeral mass in memory of the word “contact.”

  • director
    Olivier D. Asselin
  • writer
    Olivier D. Asselin
  • participation
    Frédérique Bernier
    Pascale Delhaes
    Charles Gagnon
    Carmen Garcia
    Jonathan Shultz
    Florence Thomas
  • producer
    Pierre-Mathieu Fortin
  • cinematographer
    Josué Bertolino
  • editing
    Yousra Benziane
  • music
    Jean-Olivier Bégin
  • sound design
    Patrice LeBlanc
  • actor
    Maxime Labrecque
  • supplementary footage
    Olivier D. Asselin
  • location sound
    Olivier D. Asselin
  • technical support - editing
    Pierre Dupont
    Marie-Josée Gourde
    Patrick Trahan
  • titles design
    Daphnée Brisson-Cardin
  • infographics
    Alain Ostiguy
    Cynthia Ouellet
  • online editing
    Yannick Carrier
  • re-recording
    Jean-Paul Vialard
  • administrator
    Sia Koukoulas
  • senior production coordinator
    Joëlle Lapointe
  • production coordinator
    Alexandra Bourque
    Chinda Phommarinh
  • studio coordinator
    Gabrielle Dupont
  • technical coordinator
    Daniel Claveau
  • line production
    Mélanie Lasnier
  • executive producer
    Nathalie Cloutier

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Education

Ages 16 to 18
School subjects

Short documentary that’s part of The Curve, a series about life during the pandemic. A melancholy meditation on the loss of the meaning of the word “contact.” Ideal as an introduction to a Creative Writing poetry project about expressing the deeper feelings of loss felt in everyone’s lives during the pandemic. Write a list of words whose meaning has changed since the start of the pandemic, and use a few of those words to describe how you feel about the changes you are experiencing.