Translating the printemps érable

VIDEO: 

The Quebec Spring - When the People Awaken

[Sans la nommer lyrics]:

I would like, without naming her, to speak of her to you. 
Like of a loved one, of a faithful one. 
A quite lively girl who’s awakening
To tomorrows singing under the sun

(CHORUS)
She’s the one who’s being clubbed, being chased, being tracked
She’s the one who is stands up, who suffers, who goes on strike, 
She’s the one we put in jail, who we betray, who we abandon,
Who makes us want to live, who makes us want to follow, 
Till the end, till the end. 

I would like, without naming her, to pay homage to her. 
Beautiful flower of the month of May or wild fruit. 
A plant well pitched on her two legs
And who errs freely where she pleases. 

(CHORUS)

She’s the one who’s being clubbed, being chased, being tracked
She’s the one who stands up, who suffers, who goes on strike, 
She’s the one we put in jail, who we betray, who we abandon,
Who makes us want to live, who makes us want to follow, 
Till the end, till the end. 

[…]

(CHORUS)
She’s the one who’s being clubbed, being chased, being tracked
She’s the one who stands up, who suffers, who goes on strike, 
She’s the one we put in jail, who we betray, who we abandon,
Who makes us want to live, who makes us want to follow, 
Till the end, till the end. 

I would like, without naming her, speak of her to you.
Beloved, or ill-loved, she is faithful. 
And if you wish for me to introduce her to you, 
We call her Permanent Revolution. 

(CHORUS)
She’s the one who’s being clubbed, being chased, being tracked
She’s the one who stands up, who suffers, who goes on strike, 
She’s the one we put in jail, who we betray, who we abandon,
Who makes us want to live, who makes us want to follow,
Till the end, till the end. 

The Quebec Spring is a dream built upon dreams, a gateway into the overwhelming emotion that carried the youth of Quebec, of all those who marched, all those who questioned, all those who were tired of the political lies, and all those who inspiredly danced instead of mumbling sombre, aggressive and sad neoliberal chants. It takes standing up in order to learn to dance, and in the Spring of 2012 in Quebec, a considerable portion of the population stood up, never stopped surveying the streets, bellowing its anger, loving the future it was projecting upon each and every screen of its own political wishes. A ballet of public solidarity, anonymous heros of crowds swelled by an exasperation with the present, the QUEBEC SPRING speaks to all human beings, sings the elegance of a creative, peaceful and intelligent revolution. 

A grandiose portrait of historical events, this video depicts the exact sensation felt in the chest of all protesters and student activists during those months of deadlock, of police brutality, and of political manipulation. Each one of us has an imperishable memory of a solidarity more beautiful than hope, more firm than any electoral program. What makes us sometimes want to weep, what inspires us all to live without bowing our head, what makes us belt out our dismay and embrace the cause is all there, it’s present, it all interwoven, the cameraman having taken the care to transform his camera into a waltzing hand that tenderly and patiently slides, dives, and gathers with the assurance of a father, this child of us all, this marvelous visionary dream, our lovely québécois child of the maple spring. 

Bertrand Laverdure

—-

The Quebec Spring. 

3 months of social movement.

The beauty of an awakening people. 

All images were filmed by Mario Jean, in over 40 demonstrations, between March 22 and June 22 2012. 

—-

Direction, camera and editing: MARIO JEAN, for MADOC and Nous Autres. 

Musical arrangements and production: JAHANZAIB MIRZA

“Sans la nommer” by Georges Moustaki.

Vocals and choral director: SAGE
Bass: YAN ABUD
Banjo, guitar, mandolin: DINO CHAUVETTE
Accordion, wurlitzer: SÉBASTIEN DAUDELIN
Flute: ISABELLE LANDRY
Wurlitzer: FRANCIS LAVALLÉE
Keyboards, guitars, percussions: JAHANZAIB MIRZA

Chorists: GENEVIÈVE ALIE, YAN ABUD, GENEVIÈVE BÉDARD, JEAN-FRANÇOIS BENJAMIN, CASSIOPÉE BILODEAU, RICHARD BOURDEAU, CLAUDE BRABANT, MATHIEU BRETON, GENEVIÈVE BUJOLD, LUC CHALIFOUX, DINO CHAUVETTE, AGLAË DAUDELIN, PHILIBERT DAUDELIN, SÉBASTIEN DAUDELIN, ESTÉE DAUPHIN, JULIE DE BELLEFEUILLE, MIKAËL-OR DE VOYER, KARINE DESJARDINS, CHARLOTTE DIGNARD, HUGO DIGNARD, CATHERINE EGO, JULIE FRADETTE, DORIS GIONET, MELISSA GUYADER, ALEXANDRE JEAN, MARIO JEAN, NUMBER JUAN, MATHIEU LAHAYE, CHRISTINE LAMBERT, GABRIEL LAMBERT, JOCELYN LANDRY, FRANCIS LAVALLÉE, SÉBASTIEN LAVOIE, ALEXANDRE LEDUC, MARILYN LEDUC, ZOÉ LEPAGE, HERVÉ LEROY, RICHARD LETENDRE, ISABEL MATTON, FLAVIE MESSIER SAINT-JACQUES, CÉLINE MÉTIVIER, JAHANZAIB MIRZA, JOHANNE MORRISSEAU, MISS NANA-BANANA, DANIEL PARKER, ADELINE PAYETTE BEAUCHESNE, JOSÉE PERREAULT, CHANTAL POIRIER, KRYSTIAN QUESNEL, RAYMOND RICHARD, MARTIN RIVEST, SAGE, SLAZ, LOUIS, ANTOINE SAINT-JUST, MARTIN SAUVAGEAU, SUZANNE SIROIS, NATHALIE TÉTRAULT, OLIVIER TREMBLAY, GUYLAINE VALLÉE, MYRIAM VERZAT.

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Mario Jean is a photographer, graphic designer and videographer. He is the creator of the Nous Autres logo. It was mainly through drawing, his life’s first great passion, that Mario Jean acquired the basic notion of image as expression. After having practiced photography and video, he undertook the study of film. He quickly came back to photography, which had become his preferred medium. Before founding his own creative studio (MADOC), he pursued studies in graphic design, which have further enriched his knowledge of graphic communication. Through the Spring of 2012, he poured his heart and soul into photo and video documentation of the social movement also known as the Quebec Spring. 

madocstudio.com
printempsquebecois.com
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