Photo credits: Jessica Desjardins
ISABELLE COURVILLE
Director, Cinematographer, Editor and Co-Producer
Artistic creation is second nature for Isabelle. Born on January 14th, 1992 in Hull, Quebec, she has always been passionate about performing arts, creative writing and cinema. She studied filmmaking for five years, beginning at Cegep de l’Outaouais and then at the University of Quebec in Montreal, where she just recently completed her bachelor’s degree. Her first short film, P.O.W. (2011) received critical acclaim at the Intercollegiate Film Festival and the Ottawa International Short Film Festival. The same year, she received the Governor General of Canada’s Medal for academic excellence and social and community involvement. From screenwriting to directing, Isabelle expands her filmmaking experience with her work as a cinematographer, using both words and light to reflect her unique vision, blurring the gap between reality and fantasy.
From 2011 to 2014, always eager for a new story to tell with her camera, she directs multiple documentary and fiction projects with her talented collaborator, Jessica Desjardins. In fact, both are currently laying down the foundation for their own production company. In August 2014, Isabelle was invited to attend an international documentary master class in Požega, Serbia, a month prior to directing a short film in Belgrade, Serbia, during the European Summer Film School 2014 contest.
Upon her return from Europe, it was with an inspired mind that she completed the editing phase of an ambitious documentary project that had begun in 2012 with Kim Alex Larochelle, whom she met while working as a production coordinator in a musical theater school for children and adolescents. At that time, Kim Alex approached Isabelle with an idea for a documentary series with the objective to counter homophobia. Captivated by her friend’s enthusiasm and strong desire to make a difference, she plunged into the adventure that, two years later, has become Homogen.
Photo credits: Lisa Renault
Photo credits: KIM ALEX LAROCHELLE
Original concept, Co-Producer
A young music teacher born on July 24th, 1989 in Gatineau, Quebec, Kim Alex believes that it is through art and education that a more just and egalitarian world can be achieved. While moving towards this goal, she came up with the idea to produce a documentary series to counter homophobia. Homogen was born with a simple yet quite ambitious mission: to make a difference. Since openly accepting her own homosexuality, Kim Alex does not hesitate to carry this positive message in front of the camera as one of the nine participants in the series. She could not be more grateful for the support and understanding that she received from her family as she embarked on this journey. For more than two years, she has been devoting much of her time to co-produce Homogen. She is proud to have surrounded herself with talented and implicated individuals to bring the project to fruition. Her creative partnership with Isabelle has elevated this series to an exceptional level.
“ The project’s main goal is to sensitize young people and help those who are passing through this possibly tumultuous road. I wish I had had access to a documentary series such as this while I was growing up. Thankfully, I had extraordinary teachers who made a difference in my life. I would love to do the same for my students.”- Kim Alex Larochelle, co-producer.
Photo credits: Isabelle Courville
JESSICA DESJARDINS
Sound recordist, sound editor and mixer
Photographer, documentary filmmaker and singer-songwriter, Jessica has multiple passions that, together, have formed her unique approach to filmmaking. Her degree in sound technology from Recording Arts Canada has allowed her to transpose her experience in music recording to her film projects, while studying Communications and Film Directing at the University of Quebec in Montreal. Her most recent documentary, The Stars (2014) is currently travelling to film festivals worldwide, most notably the International Documentary Festival in Montreal (RIDM), Festival of New Cinema (FNC), Image+Nation, the VGIK International Student Film Festival in Moscow, Russia and Viewster in Zurich, Switzerland.
At the end of the filming process for Homogen, she joined Isabelle’s one-woman technical crew to help with sound recording. Afterwards, she took charge of the post-production sound treatment for the series while lending her support to other aspects of the production. The team is proud to benefit from her experience in documentary filmmaking as well as her knowledge with sound.
“ I was immediately inspired when I discovered Isabelle’s sensitive and creative outlook on universal themes portrayed throughout these intimate portraits of Quebec homosexual youth. It has been a privilege to work on Homogen and it has allowed me to reflect upon my own identity. I hope that this touching and unique series will have a similar effect on viewers.” – Jessica Desjardins, sound editor and mixer