AFTERWARDS (short)

by Romane Garant Chartrand

Inside a shelter, the voices of participants in a talking circle give form and shape to shocking and oppressive moments from their pasts.

2023 · 23m · Canada, Québec

French

English subs

About the Film

Inside a shelter, the voices of participants in a talking circle give form and shape to shocking and oppressive moments from their pasts. In the process, a common sense of humanity and solidarity emerges, built on the shared experiences of lives that have been devastated. Through the power of these bonds, participants can face their hidden traumas by bringing them into the light of day. In the circle, the reality of intimate partner violence and its complex workings is fully revealed.

In Afterwards, young filmmaker Romane Garant Chartrand uses a powerfully empathetic approach that shies away from fully showing participants’ faces—emphasizing the anonymity of the struggles these survivors have faced, as well as the universality of their experiences. She amplifies the voices of women whom others have tried to silence, and gives us privileged access to a space of sisterhood and solidarity. Through their vulnerability and mutual listening and understanding, the participants recognize their shared experiences and rediscover their dignity and the strength to act. They are laying the foundations to collectively rebuild, raising their voices in a vital chorus powerful enough to knock down the walls of oppression: “We will no longer be silent.”

Upcoming Screenings

Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!

Director

Romane Garant Chartrand

About the Director

Romane Garant Chartrand

Romane Garant Chartrand is a screenwriter and director. With a bachelor’s degree in cinema and a diploma in screenwriting from UQÀM, her graduation film, Love-Me (2021), made a name for itself at festivals and won several awards. Upon graduation, she was selected by the NFB’s Repêchage initiative to direct her first professional short documentary, Afterwards (2023). The film had its world premiere at RIDM and its international premiere at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, and won the Best Documentary Short Film Award at RVQC (2024). It also won the Académie pour la Relève (2022) and the Bourse de démarrage Jean-Marc Vallée (2024). With a sensitive, caring approach, she explores the often unrecognized struggles of women and marginalized groups, giving body and voice to their experiences. She is currently working on her next short documentary, Corps-à-corps (Némésis Films), as well as her first feature-length documentary project, Fortresses (Coop Vidéo de Montréal).