Querelle
Quebec. Workers at a sawmill in Lac Saint-Jean are picketing. In the winter cold, solidarity and cups of coffee warm their hearts, but very quickly, boredom and the harshness of the struggle bring to light buried conflicts and more personal interests.
In this group, Querelle—a strikingly beautiful, imposing figure from Montreal—makes a strong impression. When night falls, he comforts the local men, one after another, with a certain violence mixed with carnal tenderness.
Straight out of the world of Jean Genet, Querelle embodies freedom, pleasure, and wild joy. He exists outside the laws of the market and the alienation of family or sexuality. Sabotage, settling of scores, drunken nights at the bowling alley or karaoke bar: the social struggle transforms into a carnal tragedy, where the economic and patriarchal order teeters.
In Querelle, Ève Lambert paints a dizzying social fresco. This critically acclaimed novel lifts the veil on a struggle that goes beyond mere labor conflict. By adapting Querelle for the stage, Olivier Arteau creates a searing labor oratorio where live music and exposed bodies heighten the tensions."
