The battle of Saint-Leonard

The Battle of Saint-Léonard tells the story of Raymond Lemieux and Mario Barone, two remarkable yet forgotten men of modest origins, who each fought with strength and conviction, despite the heavy consequences to themselves, their families, and their professional lives. 

SYNOPSIS

An unprecedented language crisis unfolded in the heart of the town of Saint-Leonard in 1968-1969. French-speaking parents demanded French-only schools, while members of the Italian community wanted to preserve bilingual schools. The conflict spread throughout Québec, creating enormous tensions that degenerated into violence and culminated in a bloody riot. The Battle of Saint-Léonard tells the story of Raymond Lemieux and Mario Barone, two remarkable yet forgotten men of modest origins, who each fought with strength and conviction, despite the heavy consequences to themselves, their families, and their professional lives. Their struggle changed the destiny of Québec and led to the adoption of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101).

Theme(s): , Culture, Politics, Social, Social mouvements, Social struggle

DETAILS

Director | , Félix Rose
Year | , 2024
Country | , Québec
Duration | 108 minutes
Original language | , English, French, Italian
Subtitles | , French
Image | Priscillia Piccoli
Sound | Laurence Turcotte-Fraser
Editing | Michel Giroux

DIRECTOR

Photo

Félix Rose

SEE COMPLETE PROFILE

With a passion for history, Félix Rose developed a political and social conscience at an early age. After studying film and television, he began his career as a documentary filmmaker with the films Avec la gauche (2014) and Yes (2017).

In 2020, he directed the documentary The Rose Family, the culmination of a personal quest to better understand the past of his father, the felquist Paul Rose, and his family. The same year, he co-directs a six-part investigative series, Le dernier felquiste, on the unsolved assassination of the felquist François Mario Bachand and the history of the various Front de Libération du Québec networks.

In 2024, he completed a four-part series on the musical rivalry between two Quebec rock bands: Offenbach and Corbeau. His most recent documentary, The Battle of Saint-Léonard, focuses on a language crisis that led to the adoption of the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101).

CAREER

Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec • Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma • Rencontre du documentaire de Percé • Victoria Film Festival

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

SCREENING 1 | 

7 August 2025 pm31 20h30

Théâtre de Verdure 

A discussion with the filmmaker Félix Rose will follow the screening.

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