Young filmmakers from Montreal produce a short film about violence

A group of young people from Parc-Extension in Montreal produced a short film that addresses the issue of violence.

The Center Jeunesse Unie produced the film “MÉTAMORPHOSE en 3 temps”, which deals with sexual, physical and psychological violence.

“We were proud of ourselves. It was really like a dream come true for all of us,” said Nazifa Chowdhury, one of the actors in the film.

The film, which premiered in December, is supposed to reflect the experiences of some young people living in Park Extension, one of Canada's poorest neighborhoods.

“I want them to have a better understanding of life at Parc-Extension and I want them to know that you can change with your friends and the people you talk to,” said Wale Monty, another young actor in the film.

The city of Montreal funded the project through a program called “Par et pour les jeunes”. The initiative is to support projects by young people for young people.

“We all sat together and wrote the script (as a team). There was no special person…who wrote it…everyone worked with it,” said actor Nandika Gupta in the film.

The project was directed by Jeunesse Unie film teacher Etienne Langlois, who also directed the film.

“We're looking to put it in festivals and do some presentations in schools, in high schools in Montreal and in the province of Quebec,” Langlois said.

Not only does the film have a strong message, but some of the actors themselves have learned something new.

“I learned that friends can easily influence us and because we use social media, we can be influenced by anyone, so we have to be careful,” said Salomon Fremont, another actor.