MUSIC ALBUM | IGNORANCE

The progression of Canadian singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, aka The Weather Station, is exceptional and it is perfectly embodied in her album released in February.

Admirably produced, Ignorance has been praised by numerous media outlets, including Pitchfork, Uncut, The Observer, Rolling Stone, Exclaim and the Montreal specialist website Pan M 360.

The ten folk-jazz-pop songs contained in the opus can please an audience with very different tastes. On Ignorance, which fully bears Lindman's mark, we find a beautiful voice, catchy rhythms as well as lush arrangements delivered with various instruments: piano, organ, guitar, keyboard, saxophone, clarinet, bass and strings. Note that the lyrics of the pieces are also of quality.

A sparkling album offered by the thirty-year-old artist from Toronto.

FICTION FILM | DUNE: PART 1

It's hard to ignore the feature film Dune: Part 1 by Quebec director Denis Villeneuve. Inspired by the novel by Frank Herbert, written in 1965, this science fiction film has people talking around the world. It has also, despite its dark and complex universe, attracted millions of moviegoers in theaters or on the Amazon Prime Video platform. Villeneuve, who had a budget of $165 million US for this production (which has generated revenues of $400 million to date), continues to accumulate critical and popular successes. Think of the films Incendie s, Arrival l, Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 . Released in theaters this fall, this genre film may not be a masterpiece, but it fulfills its mandate wonderfully. It is a feast for the eyes and the ears. Moreover, Dune and its production team have been nominated for several galas rewarding people in the film industry, including the Golden Globes. The second part of Dune will be in theaters in October 2023.

The story? In the distant future, war rages between families of the empire. When Leto Atreides is assassinated, his son Paul allies with the mysterious Fremen to control the production of a spice and uncover the secrets of Arakis, the planet Dune.

TV SERIES | MAID

Of course, we could have mentioned other very popular series here, such as Succession , which tells the story of a wealthy family that tears itself apart for the power of a multinational media company, or It's a Sin , which features friends who suddenly face the arrival of AIDS in England in the 1980s. However, the miniseries Maid , released on Netflix, has that truly humanist something that deserves to be highlighted. At first glance, this unadorned production resembles many other drama series. When you dive into it, however, the story turns out to be unique, gripping and very touching. The sublime actress Margaret Qualley plays the young mother (Alex) of a three-year-old girl (Maddy), who struggles against the psychological abuse of her partner, the father of her child.

On the edge of documentary, this very successful fiction tells the story of a mother who survives by hardship and misery by working as a cleaning lady to meet the needs of her child whom she lovingly protects. Millions of North American women and men can recognize themselves in the various characters and adventures of this well-crafted story, which exudes reality. Let us highlight the work of Andie Macdowell, who plays a character larger than life and deliciously off the mark.

DOCUMENTARY MINISERIES | THE BEATLES - GET BACK

The Beatles – Get Back is a short-lived three-part series directed and produced by Peter Jackson, who is notably responsible for the hugely popular The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. It deals with the making of the 1970 album Let It Be , which was provisionally titled Get Back . Originally conceived as a feature-length film, The Beatles: Get Back was eventually offered in a longer format, lasting eight hours. The series has been available on the Disney+ platform since November.

This production explores in particular the alleged tensions between the members of the famous British band during the creation of the album. In fact, the director probes the relationships of the four musicians, which went well beyond rivalry or bickering. The Beatles: Get Back has been praised by several critics.

PODCAST | ARE YOU BECOMING WHAT YOU WANTED?

Quebec journalist Dominic Tardif – who covers the music industry in particular – talks with well-known figures from our cultural community.

The central question of the interview: are you becoming what you wanted?

Of course, this is a nod to Daniel Boucher's song, but it is above all a pretext to visit, in an intimate way, the universe of each guest. Each podcast has a duration varying between 60 and 90 minutes.

Over the course of the three seasons of this podcast, Dominic Tardif has spoken with a few dozen icons of our culture, including Christiane Charette, Sonia Benezra, Mara Tremblay, Sarahmée, Virginie Fortin, Bruno Blanchet, Daniel Bélanger, Patrick Lagacé, Simon Proulx and Louis-José Houde.

To listen, visit the podcast website .