Congorama (2006)

An eccentric Belgian inventor travels to Québec to search for his family, which uncovers a secret history between two seemingly unrelated people.

Director:

Philippe Falardeau

Writer:

Philippe Falardeau

Stars:

Olivier Gourmet, Paul Ahmarani, Jean-Pierre Cassel

5 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Olivier Gourmet	...	Michel Roy
Paul Ahmarani	...	Louis Legros
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Hervé Roy
Claudia Tagbo	...	Alice Roy
Gabriel Arcand	...	Priest
Lorraine Pintal	...	Lucie
Arnaud Mouithys	...	Jules Roy
Guy Pion	...	Germain Collignon
Janine Sutto	...	Sister Lafrance
Marie Brassard	...	Madeleine Longsdale
Henri Chassé	...	Energy Minister
Jules Philip	...	Man in Alcove
Mireille Bailly	...	Lawyer
Carlo Ferrante	...	TV Host
Jean-Luc Couchard	...	Journalist

Storyline

Michel, the Belgian son of a paralyzed writer, husband of a Congolese refugee, and father of a future tennis champion, is an erratic inventor misunderstood by his employer. At age 41, he learns that he was born secretly in a barn in Québec, in the town of Sainte-Cécile, and given up for adoption shortly afterward. In the summer of 2000, Michel goes there and finds a sleepy village that soon makes him want to run back home. There, he meets a man who drives a car with a technologically advanced hybrid engine. On their way back to Montréal, an accident changes their lives forever, and what is uncovered will challenge the very future of the automotive industry. Welcome to "Congorama."

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Plot Keywords:

inventor | adoption | biracial | canada | interracial relationship | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [ca] Official site [fr]

Country:

Canada Belgium France

Language:

French

Release Date:

17 January 2007 (Belgium)

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

micro_scope, Tarantula, Tarantula

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa #112296 delivered on 20 October 2006.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits, the shot of the emu is shown again in reverse.

User Reviews

Belgian and original

A good movie, with a lot of referrals to the the rest of the story, but the first part is too slow. Maybe because too many items have to be brought in scene, maybe on purpose. In fact, the entire movie is a bit slow for the "more experienced" viewer, that I consider myself to be. Some scenes also might be too foreseeable for them. But : the theme is universal and the storyline is great. The director uses a specific movie language. It is somewhat surprising that this is done in Belgium and not the United States. But on the other hand, if this movie is seen by someone from the Hollywood scene, there might be an American remake. Go check out the original I'd say !