SUMMARY

It was as Virginie that corporal Vincent Lamarre enrolled in the Canadian Army. She made her place as the only woman in a men’s unit during a perilous mission in Afghanistan. Back, she became aware that her existential malaise was deeply rooted in the fact that she was living in the wrong body. Vincent was born!

As he did his coming out to his superiors, he surprisingly found they supported him as unconditionally as his family did. As he starts his journey, Vincent meets a young girl and fall in love.

The movie relates Vincent’s transition. What does it take to become a man? He is ready for the hormones, the mastectomy, the hysterectomy. But what about the penis? What does it take to be a man? Where's love stand in all of this ?

Theme : Society

Duration : 52’ TV , 90’ TV & Cinema

Filming location : Canada

Filming languages : French and English

Director : Doris Buttignol

With : Vincent Lamarre

Production, France : Lardux Films

Coproduction, Canada : Fata Morgana

TV France : Télé Bocal (90′)

Theatrical release France : Nour Films

TV Canada : Radio Canada (52′)

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DIRECTOR’S NOTE

When asked about the time he questioned himself deeply as to whether he was a girl or a boy, Vincent has no hesitation whatsoever answering. As far as back as he can recall, even in his childhood he always thought of himself as a boy. He showed a strong interest for sporting competitions and from a young age felt a solid commitment for the Canadian Armed Forces. However, until recently Vincent was still known as Virginie since he was born a female.

Furthermore, the fact that Vincent was a young soldier (and still is) aroused my curiosity. Vincent defines himself as a heterosexual in the wrong body. Though in touch with Montreal’s transsexual community of Montreal, he doesn’t feel he belongs to this group or to any other organization.

I started to film Vincent in September 2015 when he began to take hormones. Filming took place over two years required for the physical transformation of Vincent. I want to be able to observe all the steps until the final decision concerning a possible artificial penis (phalloplasty). Vincent's psychology evolved in parallel with his physical transformation.

I am fully committed to this documentary because it deconstructs all forms of representations in matters of sexual identity. Here, we have the story of a young career soldier who manages to convince the Forces’ hierarchy to accept and to support him in his transition: and his family stands by him in the process. Furthermore, as the transition is under.

Doris Buttignol

THE MAIN CHARACTERS

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VINCENT GABRIEL LAMARRE, 30 YEARS OLD

Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces, veteran of Afghanistan, is attached to the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu base. Sportsman, practice hockey, softball, obstacle course. Hyperactive, he always needed to look for his physical limitations. Endowed with a great will and very direct in its relations with the others. Practice drawing as a mode of expression since childhood

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MANON THIBODEAU, 64 YEARS OLD

Vincent's mother. Strong and frank, with a great sense of humor. As a specialist teacher, she continues to intervene in schools with young people in difficulty. After the death of his companion in a speleo accident, Manon raised only his 3 children. She is the main support of Vincent, her youngest child. Lives in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

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MURIEL MICHAUD, 82 YEARS OLD

The mother of Manon and grandmother of Vincent. A personality high in color, very modern in his ideas. A doctor in metaphysics, she said that she always felt that Vincent was a boy in a girl's body. She maintains a privileged relationship with him since childhood, he is her favorite little child. She wishes to be able to assist during his lifetime the physical transition of Vincent. Lives in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

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GENEVIEVE LAMARRE, 36 YEARS OLD

Vincent's older sister. As serious and introverted as Vincent is exuberant and communicative. It was to her that Vincent first confided in her sexual preference for girls and then decided to start a transition path. Ecologist convinced, she lives in the countryside and is the coordinator of the Portneuf Environmental Film Festival.

Other character in the film:

SHAUN BELANGER, 50 YEARS OLD

In transition as Vincent, of which he became a close friend, he began taking hormones a little before him. Landscape gardener. Divorced with 3 children. Before her coming out, Shaun lived what he described as a "conventional woman" life during which he gave birth and raised 3 children. Sensitive and expressive, he is finishing an autobiography that deals with resilience.

JUSTINE COUTURIER, 27 YEARS OLD

Passionate about sport, she meets Vincent in an obstacle course. They sympathize and then become closer and closer. From racing partners, they become best friends. They keep a distance with any form of physical intimacy, as Vincent's transition evolves. Justine went back to school while working as a cashier.

GUILLAUME LAMARRE, 34 YEARS OLD

Vincent's elder brother, an engineer in sustainable development, recently returned to Quebec after getting married in Colombia. Father of the little Gabrielle Lamarre (4 years old) of which Vincent was the godmother then the godfather and Céleste (12 months).

WARRANT OFFICER MARTIN DUVAL, 46 YEARS

The immediate superior of Vincent. It was him who welcomed Vincent on his transfer to St Jean's base after his return from Afghanistan. Has greatly facilitated the integration of Vincent as a man in the garrison. Pragmatic, he asked Vincent to behave like a soldier and to inform him precisely about the consequences of the stages of the transition on his missions.

CAPTAIN JEAN : At the origin of the Diversity + program within the Canadian Armed Forces. Attached to the base of St Jean, he is the mentor of Vincent who drives the LGBTQ group. Openly claiming his homosexuality and active activist of the LGBT cause.

COLONEL BOUCHARD : Was the commander in charge of the mission to which Vincent (then Virginie) participated in Afghanistan. He was very involved in the implementation of the Diversity + program to enable a change of culture in the institution of Canadian Armed Forces.

DR. CAMPBELL: (Montreal) Vincent's psychologist. He has been following him since the beginning of his physical transition.

Dr. MC LEAN : (Toronto) Surgeon specializing in mastectomies for people in transition. It was he who operated on Vincent for the removal of the breasts.

DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY

Doris Buttignol,

Author, Director and multimedia artist.

Born in France, she began her artistic career in Vancouver in the early 1980s, collaborating on projects related to the FLUXUS movement and experimental work with new technologies.

Next, she began working in documentary filmmaking, and has written and directed over 20 films since 1990. Her filmography includes Voyage en mémoires Indiennes (One of Many), a full-length 35mm movie which had a theatrical release and won awards at several film festivals. One of Many was also screened at the United Nations to address the notion of cultural genocide. Her last movie was No Gazaran, an investigation on shale gas in Europe(full-length documentary with theatrical release in France in 2014).

While working on her new film “One of the boys”, she is also developing “playground” collaboration with a Palestinian filmmaker depicting the games of the children in Gaza.

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PRODUCTION

Doris Buttignol approach the subject of sexual transition with a totally new angle. Because it deconstructs stereotypes and prejudices, because it is positive, Vincent’s story will undoubtedly mark an opening in the recognition of transgender people’s civil rights.

The film "One of the boys" will be edited in a double version, 90' for French TV and Cinema, and 52' for Canadian TV. But we could not find enough funding for the cinema version, this is one of the reasons of this crowdfunding.

In 2015, with a development support was used to finance the script and the first shooting. The director travelled several times to Canada to further her relationship with Vincent, his family, his military rank and his friends. With all the permissions of the Canadian military authority and Vincent’s exclusive access agreement, she started to film the first stages of the transition.

We have a Canadian co-producer: Fata Morgana Company, for produce the 52' TV version .

On the French side we convinced a local broadcaster, Tele Bocal (channel 31 of the TNT) and institutional partners (CNC, Région Auvergne Rhône Alpes, Procirep). We are discussing a theatrical release with Nour Films..

PRODUCTION PLANNING

- from October 19 to November 30, 2017: crowdfunding campaign.

- October 9 to December 15, 2017: editing 52 ' television version in Canada, interspersed with shooting planned until mid December 2017.

- from January 15 to March 30, 2018: editing of the 90 'version for cinema in France. This part asks for your support to granted a maximum of editing week, and to arrive at a working copy presentable to potential partners, so that the film can also exist in the cinema.

- April 3rd to 30th, 2018: creation of the soundtrack and cinema mixing. By exceeding the objective this will improve the quality of the soundtrack and the creation of an original music.

- from May 2 to 30, 2018: finishing and calibration of the film, establishing video and DCP copies.

- June to September 2018: creation of an enlarged community around the film.

- September 2018: preview of the film at the cinema and delivery of the counterparts.

- November 2018: theatrical release during the month of the documentary.

P'tit Gars - One of the Boys