LA SWITCH

Corporal Marc Leblanc, a highly skilled military sniper, leaves Afghanistan, discharged from the Canadian Armed Forces. He returns to his native home, a peaceful corner of Northern Ontario. He carries a letter detailing his father's ailing condition, he himself is a veteran. Father and son, reunited, hide behind their silence, unable to express their emotions, unable to converse beyond worldly banalities or to form lasting bonds with people around them.

La switch is a film about intergenerational trauma and the psychological struggle veterans face within themselves due to the atrocities they experience during combat that are too horrible to share with ordinary people.

La switch offers an insightful artistic perspective on the impact of PTSD on two soldiers, father and son, each suffering from their time in combat. This film has an important and powerful purpose to fulfill because its underlying themes are so poignant and important. The film inspired men (and women) to seek the help they need to heal their mental health.

Global News published an article entitled Invisible Wounds. A prolific look at the lives of five soldiers who served in Afghanistan and suffer from PTSD in war and/or returning home from combat. 

According to Veterans Affairs Canada data obtained by Global News, psychiatric conditions are the second leading cause of disability claims among those who served in Afghanistan. According to a Canadian Forces chief psychiatrist, the three most common mental health problems in the military are depression, PTSD and substance abuse. About 40,000 Canadian soldiers have served in Afghanistan. More than 80% of the time, soldiers have more than one diagnosis and the three most common conditions often overlap.

La switch is the first fictionalized look at the very real crisis facing our soldiers and PTSD. It is an epidemic that stems from the notion of male toxicity where self-sufficiency and emotional repression are the norm. This attitude correlates with an increase in male psychological problems such as depression, increased stress and substance abuse.

The Francophone community in Northern Ontario plays an important role. Franco-Ontarians live mostly in a considerable number of smaller towns such as Hearst or Kapuskasing. The French language dialect in this region is unique and not well known. Our goal was to remain as authentic and true to the Francophone community in this region as possible.

The backdrop of the film features the vast fields and lush forests of Northern Ontario. The wide open spaces amplify the sense of silence and isolation of rural life, miles from the nearest town or village. 

The director's vision is original and thought-provoking. In his words: "La switch is a ballad. This means that it is a story to be told as one", a place where silence takes all its meaning, creating "moments of strong tension and silent introspection".

Michel Kandinsky was born in Warsaw and grew up in Oklahoma City as well as Ottawa. After studying biology at McGill, he studied film at the prestigious Polish National Film School and later worked as an assistant to maverick filmmaker Lech Majewski. Writing and directing the short film You Know Why led him to direct Tracks, a feature-length documentary for Polish television. Michel has directed music videos and commercials, written for TV and produced by MTV. In 2010, his first short film Kill Brass starred Graham Abbey and Ron White as two expert marksmen. In 2014, he made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy Hotel Congress and in 2018, Paddock a short documentary.

Since 2000, Tracy has worked as a producer for various production companies in the television, film and multiplatform industries. She has produced several documentary series, drama series and youth series. In 2008, she founded a production company, Carte Blanche Films. Her rich experience and creativity are reinforced by her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Arts Management. Tracy keeps abreast of industry issues in order to enrich the content of Carte Blanche Films. In 2016, she founded Carte Blanche Media to meet the growing demand for digital content. She works with several renowned broadcasters such as Le groupe Média TFO, Idéllo, UNIS-TV5, Radio-Canada and TVOntario.

CBF's productions have distinguished themselves in various events: St Nickel earned a Gemini Award, Hard Rock Medical was nominated for Excellence in Title Design at SXSW 2013; Les Bleu de Ramville won the Excellence in Title Design award at SXSW 2012 as well as the award for its opening credits at the Summit Creative Award 2012 and Météo+ obtained three Gemini nominations.

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF
Telefilm Canada, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Ontario Creative, The Harold Greenberg Fund, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, Quebec Film and Television Tax Credits

PRODUCED WITH THE COLLABORATION OF
CRAVE

AND THE ASSOCIATION OF
Radio-Canada