Jean-Michel Blais’ docu-fiction music video ‘la chute’ (the fall).

‘la chute’ is a piano piece for left hand born from a personal dramatic fall which led to a right arm injury. It continues a rich tradition of composers writing music specifically for the left hand, including works by composers such as Scriabin, Ravel, Bach and Chopin.

Part of sérénades, the nocturnal solo piano companion to Jean-Michel Blais’ album aubades (2022) for piano and chamber ensemble, which was nominated for a Polaris Prize and JUNO Award.

More info & listen here:
https://jeanmichelblais.lnk.to/serena...

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“February 2022, the slippery steps of Montreal dislocated my shoulder, leaving me hospitalized, morphinated, and hopped up on ketamine. The induced dissociation engenders both fear and hope: the scare of an amputated future, of an ablated profession, but the resilience of a lonely left hand composing “the fall” (French: la chute) and of a bored right one now living its life, writing its own epic poem ... Nature abhors a vacuum, limitations often lead to creativity: the fall of a body down the stairs; the imagined fall of an artist, of his career; the musical fall of a watery stream of reassuring sounds, of drops plunging gently onto a softened ground.” – Jean-Michel Blais (Artist)

“I was excited from the start about this opportunity to take on a very different atmosphere from previous projects done with Jean-Michel Blais. Quite quickly, while discussing together, we agreed on the idea that this project could not just be solely sad and that there had to be a touching and lively side to it; this is where the idea of the hand came from: What can the hand do when it is not playing ? What can it become if it had a life of its own ? This segment became an ode to life, and a reflection on the place of the hand in everyday life, especially for a pianist.” – Adrian Villagomez (Director)

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FOLLOW JEAN-MICHEL BLAIS
Instagram:   / jeanmichelblais  
Facebook:   / jeanmichelblais  
Twitter:   / jeanmichelblais  
Website: https://jeanmichelblais.com/
Tour: https://jeanmichelblais.com/#tour
Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/b1Zm6L

CREDITS
TECHNICAL TEAM
Director: Adrian Villagomez
Cinematographer: Juliette Lossky
1st assistant director: Allan Lambert
1st assistant camera: Kevin Gourvellec
2nd assistant camera: Sahel Kiraly
1st assistant camera (inserts): Alec Lemonde
Key gaffer: François Legris
Key grip: Brice Bodson
Grip: Ludovic Pilon
Grip: Antoine Whalen
Gaffer: Conrad Roy

CREATIVES
Hair-makeup: Raphael Gagnon
Behind the scene: Nina Gibelin

PRODUCTION
Production house: Consulat
Producer: Elyse Belmont-Stroh
Production manager: Lola-Lou Fergeau Mariko
Location manager / co-producition manager: Jonathan De Aguas
Production assistant: Alexandre Potvin
Production assistant: Nina Gibelin
Production assistant: Jason Nankoo
Production assistant: Vladimir Belova-Mourkes
Production assistant: Charlotte Danais
Runner: Victor Martin
Accountant: Andre Gheorghiu

CAST
Jean-Michel Blais: Jean-Michel Blais
Hand (double): Vladimir
Hand (double): Alec
Baby: Lexi
Kid: Matteo
Girl: Gabrielle
Lover: Isaac
Jean-Michel Blais (older #1): Yvon Blais
Jean-Michel Blais (older #2): Yvon Bousquet
Mother: Lise
Nurse: Tiffany
Staff (artist): Charlotte
Staff (artist): Renaud
Staff (artist): Laurent
Prisoner: Jonathan

EXTRA
Extra show
César, Linsday, Phillippe, Valerie, Eliane, Maude, Khadija, Priscillia, Robin, Hassanatou, Laure, Jérome, Yan, Rachel, Pascal, Laurei, Katheryne, Sophie, Catherine, Sindali, Alya, Paul, Yossouf, Paul, Alissa, Simon, Samuel, Phillipe-Olivier, Océane, Sarah-Jane, Samuel, Emilie, Féchelle, Béatrice, Nicolas, Lauralie, Paolo, Mireille, Pierre, PIerre-Francois, Elisabeth, Sabrina, Samuel, Andrée-Anne, Clarisse, Lys, Naomie, Raphaelle, Sita, Vincent, Molly, Etienne, David, Camille,

Extra party
Léo, Romane, Cathy, Nina, Bruno

STUNT
Stunt coordinator: Tyler Hall
Assistant stunt coordinator: Yahya Mahrach
Stunt double: Kevin Banks

POST-PRODUCTION
Offline editor: Adrian Villagomez
Offline editor: Keenan Moïse
Color grading: Thomas D'Auteuil (Arketype)
VFX: Philippe Toupin

EQUIPMENT
Lighting: François Legris
Grip: Brice Bodson
Lighting/Grip (extra): SLA
Camera & negativ: MELS
Camera & negativ: COOP Video

LOCATION
Concert venue: Conservatoire de musique de Montréal
Hospital: CHSLD Rose-de-Lima
Church: Église catholique Saint-Ambroise

THANK YOU
Bruno Destombes, Roxanne Bérubé, Sylvie Potel, Herman Gauthier, Pierre Rochon, France Nardelli, David Perreault et son équipe du conservatoire.

Label: Mercury KX / Arts & Crafts