Synopsis
With lively rhythms, catchy choruses, and vivid melodies, Oscar Thiffault’s songs are a blend between country and Quebec folk music. This modest yet spirited man is more than just a singer. He is a storyteller and a witness to his era. Serge Giguère’s documentary, supported by archival footage, recounts the life of this important figure in our folk heritage. At 75, the singer plays along with the filmmaker, who stages him in various scenes. For the film, he agrees to return to the real Rapide-Blanc, north of La Tuque — the place that inspired the lyrics of one of his songs, a social chronicle about the loneliness of lumberjacks and the women who keep them company.
A word from Tënk
Serge Giguère offers in this 1987 film a luminous, unvarnished look at Oscar Thiffault, the author and performer of Rapide blanc. This famous song from Québec’s folk repertoire was written in 1954, when Thiffault was working for Hydro-Québec at the Rapide-Blanc dam. According to ethnologist Luc Lacoursière, the song is a loose adaptation of Le Moine tremblant, which dates back to the Middle Ages. Thiffault reworked the lyrics, turning “il ognait” in Old French into “Ah ouigne in hin” in joual. This personal touch undoubtedly contributed to the song’s success.
Through inventive staging, Giguère and his subject playfully recreate the lively world suggested by the bawdy lyrics of Thiffault’s signature song. With the sincerity of his approach, the filmmaker manages to move as much as he entertains. He paints a nuanced portrait of this endearing artist, a bearer of a deeply rooted oral tradition. In doing so, Giguère hits the mark: through his work, he gently and beautifully reminds us of the stuff we’re made of.
Pascale Ferland
Filmmaker, teacher and programmer
