Montreal, My Beautiful

Montreal, My Beautiful
FrenchMontréal, ma belle
Directed byXiaodan He
Screenplay byXiaodan He
Produced byChristine Falco
Xiaodan He
StarringJoan Chen
Charlotte Aubin
CinematographyMarie Davignon
Edited byTao Gu
Music byGaétan Gravel
Production
companies
Films Camera Oscura
Red Dawn Productions
Distributed byFilmoption International
Release date
  • October 12, 2025 (2025-10-12) (FNC)
Running time
117 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesFrench
Mandarin

Montreal, My Beautiful (French: Montréal, ma belle) is a 2025 Canadian drama film, directed by Xiaodan He.[1] The film stars Joan Chen as Feng Xia, a Chinese Canadian immigrant wife and mother living in Montreal, Quebec, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when she meets and falls in love with Camille (Charlotte Aubin), a free-spirited younger woman.[2]

The cast also includes John Xu, Pei Yao Xu, Anzhe (Angelo) Zhang, Jean-Guy Bouchard, Isabelle Miquelon, Zion-Luna Ribeaux Valdès, Annette Garant, Éloi Archambaudoin, Wensi Yan, Pantelis Palioudakis and Amélie Pelletier in supporting roles.

Plot

A Chinese immigrant, Feng Xia, runs a grocery store alongside her husband in Quebec. During her French classes, she meets a gay man from Cuba in a chance encounter, who introduces her to dating apps. Feng decides to give it a try herself; while checking out the profiles on a dating site she finds Camille, who becomes her love interest. The two become friends but hook up occasionally without becoming anything official. Camille and Feng get very close as Feng's warm and sincere friendship helps Camille navigate her trust issues and problems with her estranged mother. During this time, Camille treats their romantic relationship casually while Feng does not; this leads to an altercation, which gives Camille the space to realise what she truly wants from Feng. Camille gets very drunk that night and has an attack of gastritis through which Feng stays by her side, allowing them to reconcile.

Feng's husband becomes suspicious and secretly follows her as she goes over to Camille's place, discovering Feng and Camille's relationship. He then becomes abusive towards Feng and threatens Camille at work. Feng and Camille nevertheless continue their relationship and take a trip to one of Camille's family's properties.

Feng's husband finds it difficult to deal with this situation and decides to move back to China with his family, leaving behind his daughter to pursue her education in Quebec. Feng agrees to leave Quebec with her husband and writes a letter to Camille letting her know of her departure and that she loves her and will remember her fondly.

The film ends with the family driving to the airport. During the car-ride, Feng, who had previously decided to leave Quebec, says that she no longer wants to leave and asks her husband to stop the vehicle. Her husband attempts to continue driving, but is eventually forced to pull off the road by the other family members.

Distribution

The film was screened for distributors at the Cannes Film Market in May 2025,[3] and had its public premiere in the Special Presentations program at the 2025 Festival du nouveau cinéma.[4]

Reception

La Presse described Montréal, ma belle as a bold film exploring the romantic relationship between a middle-aged Chinese immigrant woman and a younger Québécoise woman. The review praised Joan Chen’s performance as Feng Xia, noting her nuanced portrayal of the character’s inner conflict and emotions. The critic also highlighted the tenderness in the central relationship and the realistic depiction of intimacy. At the same time, the review mentioned narrative gaps, awkward dialogue, and some inexperienced supporting performances.[5]

Awards

Award Year Category Recipient Result Reference
Windsor International Film Festival 2025 Best Canadian Film Xiaodan He Won [6]
Reelworld Film Festival Outstanding Feature Film Actress Joan Chen Won [7]
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival Best Canadian Film Xiaodan He Won [8]
Toronto Film Critics Association 2025 Outstanding Lead Performance in a Canadian Film Joan Chen Won [9]
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Canadian Film Charlotte Aubin Nominated
Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2026 Cogeco People's Choice Xiaodan He Won [10]

References

  1. ↑ "Filmoption lance « Montréal, ma belle » au Marché du Film de Cannes" Archived 2025-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Qui Fait Quoi, May 20, 2025.
  2. ↑ Yves Lafontaine, "Montréal, ma belle : un récit d’exil, d’identité et d’amour". Fugues, September 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ Charles-Henri Ramond, "(Cannes 2025) Lancement de Montréal, ma belle" Archived 2025-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Films du Québec, May 22, 2025.
  4. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "Seven Canadian features to debut at FNC 2025" Archived 2025-10-03 at the Wayback Machine. Playback, September 24, 2025.
  5. ↑ Galipeau, Silvia (2026-02-13). "Montréal, ma belle: Un mélange de tendresse et de maladresses". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  6. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "Montreal, My Beautiful claims WIFF Prize in Canadian Film". Playback, October 27, 2025.
  7. ↑ Kelly Townsend, "It Comes in Waves leads 2025 Reelworld Film Festival winners". Playback, October 20, 2025.
  8. ↑ Andrew Tracy, "Montreal, My Beautiful wins best Canadian film prize at Reel Asian". Playback, November 6, 2025.
  9. ↑ Matt Neglia, "The 2025 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners" Archived 2025-12-15 at the Wayback Machine. Next Best Picture, December 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ Jamie Casemore, "Mathieu Denis’ The Cost of Heaven wins Playback Prize at KCFF". Playback, March 2, 2026.


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