In the 1950s, Laurette Tardif worked as a nurse among the Attikamewks, a people who lived on the vast expanses of the Haute-Mauricie. Laurette was a prominent figure in the village of Clova. She talks about the nursing care provided to the Attikamewks and about their lifestyle during this era. Her warm testimony is illustrated by remarkable photographs of her as she made her rounds in the reserves. Images of the modern Clova and the videomaker's reflections on the current lifestyle of the Attikamewk people complete this concise and evocative documentary.
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Commentary by Claire Valade, Film critic from Quebec
Documentary makers Brigitte Nadeau and Nathalie Goulet succeed in killing two birds with one stone : they present a first-hand account of a bygone era of Quebec’s pioneer history (albeit not very long ago) and a portrait of an ordinary woman who led an extraordinary life. Her perspective on life in a remote area and the years spent taming a hostile land and learning to share it with aboriginal communities is deeply respectful and serene—qualities shared by Laurette’s words and wonderful photographs.
