Emile

 

A semi-retired professor living in Britain returns to his hometown in Canada for the first time since leaving as a young man. Set to receive an award from the local university, he also attempts to reconcile his past while forming a meaningful relationship with his niece and her daughter who are also facing challenges. 'Emile' is the third in a loose trilogy of films written and directed by Carl Bessai, all exploring aspects of personal identity. The first, 'Johnny', looked at a teenager with his life ahead of them, the second, 'Lola', portrayed a middle-aged woman trying to escape an abusive relationship, and 'Emile' is a Proustian examination of memory, imagination, regret, lost roots, and the possibility of redemption and reconciliation, all seen through the eyes of an old man whose life is almost over.