Sophie Deraspe facts for kids

Sophie Deraspe (born October 27, 1973) is a talented Canadian filmmaker. She works as a director, writer, cinematographer (who films movies), and producer. Sophie is a key figure in Quebec's film scene.

She is well-known for her 2015 documentary, The Amina Profile. This film explores the story of Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari, a famous online hoax from 2011. Before that, she wrote and directed several movies. These include Missing Victor Pellerin (Rechercher Victor Pellerin) in 2006, Vital Signs (Les Signes vitaux) in 2009, and The Wolves (Les Loups) in 2015.

In 2019, Sophie Deraspe wrote, directed, and filmed Antigone. This movie was inspired by a real event in Montreal in 2008. It also loosely adapts the ancient Greek play by Sophocles. Sophie felt that the story of a woman standing up for what's right, even against the law, was still important today. The film, starring Nahéma Ricci, first showed at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. It won the award for Best Canadian Film. Antigone was also chosen to represent Canada at the 2019 Oscars.

Her first TV series, Dark Soul (Bête noire), was nominated for 15 awards. In 2021, it won four Gémeaux Awards, including Best TV Drama Series and Best Director. Countries like the USA, Australia, France, and Norway have bought the rights to show it. Her newest TV series, Paradise Motel (Motel Paradis), started airing in Canada in October 2022. It will be available in Australia from August 2024.

Sophie Deraspe describes her work as always "questioning limits." She often explores the line between reality and fiction in her films. In 2020, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). This is the group that gives out the Oscars! In 2021, she received a special honor in Quebec for her contributions to arts and letters.

Sophie Deraspe's Journey in Film

Sophie Deraspe studied visual arts in Austria. Then, she studied French literature and film at the Université de Montréal from 1995 to 1998. After graduating, she worked on famous Quebec films. She was a trainee director for movies like Philippe Falardeau's The Left-Hand Side of the Fridge (La moitié gauche du Frigo) in 2000. She also worked on André Turpin's Soft-Shell Man (Le crabe dans la tête) in 2001. She also worked as a director of photography for many film and TV shows.

In 2001, her short documentary film, Moi, la mer, elle est belle, was chosen for a film festival in Belgium. Her short fiction film, Saute la coche, won two awards at festivals around the world.

Missing Victor Pellerin (2006)

In 2006, Sophie Deraspe completed her first independent feature film. It was called Missing Victor Pellerin (Recherche Victor Pellerin). The movie is about a mysterious painter who has disappeared. It was shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and at about 20 other festivals worldwide. In Canada, it was the opening film at the Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma. The film was shown in cinemas across Canada and in New York in 2007. It also received a special award at the Festival du nouveau cinéma in Montréal.

Critics really liked the film. One critic, Marcel Jean, said Sophie Deraspe "plunges completely" into this film. He noted that the movie makes you think about what is real and what is just an appearance. Another critic called it "a little gem of astonishing ingenuity." The New York Times described it as "an enigmatic and utterly compelling story."

Vital Signs (2009)

In 2009, her second feature film, Vital Signs (Les signes vitaux), premiered in Montreal. It won the award for Best New Canadian Film at the Whistler Film Festival. The main actress, Marie-Hélène Bellavance, also won Best Actress for her first role. The film was also shown at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

A reviewer from The Montreal Gazette praised the film for its "superb acting and cinematography." Vital Signs went on to win more than 15 awards at various festivals in 2010. These included the SXSW Film Festival in Texas and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The film was even featured on the cover of a film magazine and was ranked as one of the best films of 2010.

The Wolves (2014)

The year 2015 was very busy for Sophie Deraspe. She finished two feature films that year. One was The Wolves (Les Loups). This film was made with both Canadian and French teams. It starred Quebec actors like Evelyne Brochu and Louise Portal. The movie was filmed in the Magdalen Islands. It tells the story of a young woman who arrives on an island during spring. She tries to become part of the community, who make a living from seal hunting.

The Wolves was shown at the Whistler Film Festival. There, Louise Portal received a special mention for her acting. It also won the Best Film award from the Fipresci jury at the Torino Film Festival in 2015. The film was also released in cinemas in Quebec.

The Amina Profile (2015)

The Amina Profile is Sophie Deraspe's first full-length documentary film. In the United States, it was also known as A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile. The film first premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. After that, it was shown at many other festivals. It won awards for Best Documentary in Tel Aviv and Dublin. It also won the Grand Prize at the Japan Prize in 2016.

Critics praised the film. La Presse gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "powerful, brilliant... extremely well constructed." Variety praised its "slippery, deftly woven narrative."

The Seven Last Words (2019)

In 2019, Sophie Deraspe worked on a special project called The Seven Last Words. This project brought together seven directors, including Sophie. They each made a short film based on the sayings of Jesus on the cross. The films were connected by the music of the Callino Quartet. They were filmed in different places like Iran, Haiti, and Quebec. One critic wrote that Sophie Deraspe's short film had "the greatest impact" of all seven.

Antigone (2019)

Antigone is a modern version of the ancient play by Sophocles. Sophie Deraspe wrote, edited, and directed this film. It tells the story of a 16-year-old girl named Antigone. She and her three siblings moved to Montreal, Canada, with their grandmother after their parents were killed. When the police kill her older brother and her other brother faces deportation, Antigone fights to protect her family.

To make the film accurate, Sophie met with lawyers and investigators. This helped her show scenes involving law enforcement realistically. At the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, Antigone was named Best Canadian Feature Film. It was also chosen to represent Canada at the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.

Dark Soul (2021)

Dark Soul (Bête noire) is a six-episode drama series. It explores what happens after a 16-year-old named Jérémy causes a shooting at his school. The series looks at why he did it and how his grieving family tries to cope. Jérémy’s mother, Mélanie (played by Isabelle Blais), works with a psychiatrist (Sophie Cadieux) to understand her son's terrible crime. The show starts minutes after the shooting, but viewers never actually see the event itself.

This series was nominated for 15 Gémeaux Awards. In 2021, it won four, including Best TV Drama Series and Best Director. Countries like the USA, Australia, France, and Norway have bought the rights to broadcast it.

Motel Paradise

Sophie Deraspe's TV series Motel Paradise (Motel Paradis) will be broadcast in 2023. In this series, a character named Jen tries to convince a retired investigator to reopen a case.

Shepherds (2024)

In 2023, it was announced that Sophie Deraspe was working on a new film called Shepherds (Berger). This movie is based on a novel by Mathyas Lefebure. The film is expected to premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

Sophie Deraspe's Filmography

Director and writer

Feature films

• 2006: Missing Victor Pellerin (Rechercher Victor Pellerin)
• 2009: Vital Signs (Les signes vitaux)
• 2014: The Wolves (Les Loups)
• 2015: The Amina Profile (documentary)
• 2019: The Seven Last Words
• 2019: Antigone
• 2024: Shepherds (Berger)

Television

• 2012: La vie nous arrive (documentary)

Director

TV series

• 2021: Dark Soul (Bête noire)
• Motel Paradise (in post-production)

Director of photography

Feature Film

• 2006: Missing Victor Pellerin (Rechercher Victor Pellerin)
• 2009: Vital Signs (Les signes vitaux)
• 2014: The Wolves (Les Loups)
• 2015: A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile (documentary)
• 2019: The Seven Last Words
• 2019: Antigone

Short films

• 2000: Solitude dans la foule
• 2007: Pierre Gauvin, un moine moderne

Actress

Film

• 2006: Missing Victor Pellerin

Television

• 2012: Les dames aux caméras (as herself)

Awards for TV Series

Awards for Feature Films

Special Honors

• 2021 - Compagne des arts et des lettres du Québec (a special honor for her contributions to arts and letters in Quebec)
• 2020 - Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) (the group that gives out the Oscars)
• 2015 - Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year's Women in Film (TIFF)

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women