Ciseaux

FESTIVE DOCUMENTARY CABARET

A festive and uninhibited documentary cabaret, Ciseaux revives Montreal and Quebec’s queer memory from a feminist perspective. The two creators—being both the authors and actresses—reclaim with an infectious and unapologetic pleasure the numerous clichés surrounding female homosexuality, starting with the title which refers to a sexual position between women—greatly fantasized by many men and overused in pornography.

Over the course of twenty-some scenes combining archival documents and fiction, audio testimonies, projections, as well as performances, lip-syncing and drag kings acts, they retrace with as much sensitivity as humour the history of lesbian struggles since the last century, emphasizing the under-representation and the invisibility of women who were hesitant in identifying themselves as such within the communities. Calamine, Marie-Claire Blais, Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau, Manon Massé, Safia Nolin, as well as Éric Duhaime, Bibi et Geneviève and Village People are referenced among others.

Geneviève Labelle and Mélodie Noël Rousseau—partners on stage and in life—communicate and interact wonderfully with audiences, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity, whether they are new or sympathetic to the cause or not. They deliver with confidence and pride a thrilling show, often very funny, instructive but never didactic, sometimes poignant but never heavy—the perfect example of what we call intelligent entertainment.

Warning
Smoke effects, video archives featuring police violence