Ghost Town Anthology
| Ghost Town Anthology | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| French | Répertoire des villes disparues |
| Directed by | Denis Côté |
| Written by | Denis Côté |
| Based on | Répertoire des villes disparues by Laurence Olivier |
| Produced by | Ziad Touma |
| Starring | Robert Naylor Josée Deschênes Jean-Michel Anctil Larissa Corriveau |
| Cinematography | François Messier-Rheault |
| Edited by | Nicolas Roy |
Production company | Couzin Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | French |
| Budget | C$2.1 million |
Ghost Town Anthology (French: Répertoire des villes disparues) is a 2019 French-language Canadian supernatural drama film written and directed by Denis Côté. Based on Laurence Olivier’s short novel of the same name, it follows a small Quebec village unsettled by a teenager’s death and strange apparitions. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it was selected for the Competition section and was a Golden Bear contender.
Synopsis
Set in the small Quebec village of Irénée-les-Neiges, the film centres on a community after local teenager Simon Dubé dies in a car accident.[1][2] As Simon’s family and the wider town are shaken by his death, residents begin to notice strange figures around the village.[3]
Cast
The cast includes:[4]
- Robert Naylor as Jimmy Dubé
- Josée Deschênes as Gisèle Dubé
- Jean-Michel Anctil as Romuald Dubé
- Larissa Corriveau as Adèle
- Diane Lavallée as Simone Smallwood
- Rémi Goulet as André
- Jocelyne Zucco as Louise
- Normand Carrière as Richard
- Hubert Proulx as Pierre
- Rachel Graton as Camille
Production
The film was produced by Couzin Films.[4] It was Côté's first adaptation of a literary work, based on Laurence Olivier’s short novel of the same name.[5][4] Filming took place over 26 days in February and March 2018 in Montérégie. The film had an approximate budget of C$2.1 million.[4]
Festival screenings
The film had its world premiere on 11 February 2019 at the Berlin International Film Festival,[4] where it was selected for the Competition section and was a Golden Bear contender.[6][7]
Reception
Critical response
Jay Weissberg of Variety described Ghost Town Anthology as an intimate and unsettling film that “approaches narrative elliptically”. He wrote that Côté was less interested in resolving the film’s mysteries than in following the emotional effect of the questions they raise.[3]
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a “low-key mood piece” with enough ambiguity to hold interest, but found it “too subdued for genre fans” and “too psychologically thin” for more art-film-oriented audiences.[8]
Geoff Andrew of Sight and Sound described the film as “a genuinely intriguing and for the most part rewarding study” of how an unexpected death affects a small, inward-looking rural community. He wrote that Côté does not take the story in the direction of a horror movie, instead focusing on how people cope with mortality, loss, and the possibility that the dead do not entirely disappear.[9]
Wendy Ide of The Guardian described it as an “elegantly unnerving drama” in which supernatural visitations unsettle an insular rural community. She wrote that the film’s themes included hostility toward strangers and territorialism, while its deeper mystery remained unresolved.[10]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Screen Awards | 28 May 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Larissa Corriveau | Nominated | [11] |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Denis Côté | Nominated | |||
| Prix Iris | 2 June 2019 | Best Film | Ziad Touma | Nominated | [12] |
| Best Actress | Josée Deschênes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Larissa Corriveau | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Denis Côté | Nominated | |||
| Best Art Direction | Marie-Pier Fortier | Nominated | |||
| Best Casting | Denis Côté | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | François Messier-Rheault | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Caroline Bodson | Nominated | |||
| Best Hair | Dominique T. Hasbani | Nominated | |||
| Best Makeup | Dominique T. Hasbani | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Répertoire des villes disparues : la liberté brute de Denis Côté" (in French). Ici Radio-Canada. 25 March 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "Ghost Town Anthology". Virginia Film Festival. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- 1 2 Weissberg, Jay (11 February 2019). "Film Review: 'Ghost Town Anthology'". Variety. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Ramond, Charles-Henri (9 February 2019). "Répertoire des villes disparues – Film de Denis Côté". Films du Québec (in French). Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Répertoire des villes disparues : « ce n'est pas le gros film déprimant québécois millésime 2019»" (in French). Ici Radio-Canada Première. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "Selection for Competition and Berlinale Special Completed" (PDF). berlinale. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "Films Boutique boasts Ghost Town Anthology and Flesh Out in the Berlin showcase". Cineuropa. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ Rooney, David (11 February 2019). "'Ghost Town Anthology' ('Repertoire des villes disparues'): Film Review | Berlin 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ Andrew, Geoff (13 February 2019). "Ghost Town Anthology review: Denis Côté explores a community haunted by grief". Sight and Sound. British Film Institute. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ Ide, Wendy (19 April 2020). "Ghost Town Anthology review – unnerving supernatural mystery". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ "Écrans canadiens : Song of Names, The Twentieth Century et Antigone en tête des nominations" (in French). Ici Radio-Canada. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ↑ "Gala Québec Cinéma : 1991 de Ricardo Trogi mène la course avec 16 nominations" (in French). Ici Radio-Canada. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2023.