On the occasion of Culture Days, the documentary film It is in the dark that the light is most beautiful, was broadcast on September 26, 2026 at the Raymond-Lévesque library in Saint-Hubert.
Directed by Akim Kermiche, the 30-minute documentary has already been screened at the Afrika Center in Montreal as well as during the programming of the Montreal Portuguese Festival. The documentary addresses the work of Quebec artist Gabriel Landry, through snippets of life that allow us to learn more about the painter’s philosophy of life.
During this day Akim was kind enough to answer a few questions and tell us more about his future projects.
The initiative: You spent nearly fourteen months following the artist before making this medium-length film. Can you tell us more?
Akim Kermiche: This film deals with the artistic journey of Gabriel Landry, who is a very talented artist. On a technical level, I chose to entrust him with the narration; it is he who is the voice-over, it is his own voice that we hear. The documentary is structured around a few major topics. There is the artist, there are obviously his works, but also notable figures from Quebec like René Lévesque and Félix Leclerc, as well as the French language which is important here in Quebec.
Right now, you’re on set. It’s a public project, since you share its progress on social networks. Without revealing the whole plot, can you tell us a little more?
It’s a short film that I’m filming. I’m about 85% complete. The story revolves around two worlds: that of bullies and drug traffickers, and that of a painter and finesse. Without going into detail, let’s say that appearances are often deceiving. This trafficker comes across this painter and he wants to intimidate her, but he is unaware that she is hiding another life. In any case, she is going to pull out all the stops. The character of the trafficker is named Taurus and the painter is named Julie.
Can you tell us more about the production?
Yes, absolutely. I wrote the script for the film. It is entirely self-produced. I’m the one who finances everything: the actors, the actresses and all the equipment and sets that we see in the film.
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