Directed by Caroline Monnet

Logline: The fear of bridges.

Synopsis: The Ottawa/Gatineau region is characterized by the daily struggles that can exist between the two geographically adjacent communities with different cultural, political and linguistic traditions. Gephyrophobia, meaning fear of bridges, is a film about movement, landscape and the tension between two distinct identities sharing the Ottawa River as their common border.

Distribution Contact: WFG

More Details

RUNTIME: 2 Minutes
GENRE: Documentary, Experimental
PRODUCTION FORMAT: 16mm
LANGUAGE: None
LOCATION: Quebec
KEYWORDS: Bridge, Fear, Phobia, City Symphony, Ottawa Gatineau, Indigenous Filmmaker, Female Filmmaker

Director's Statement: The WNDX Festival of Film and Video Art in Winnipeg commissioned the film Gephyrophobia as part of their Situated Cinema Project. The project would have to be an exploration of the genre of the cinematic city symphony, be shot on 16mm film, with duration of only 120 seconds. This encouraged me to tap into the rhythms, flows and subtle poetry of the city I was born in.

The Ottawa/Gatineau region is characterized by the daily struggles that can exist between the two geographically adjacent communities with very distinct cultural, political and linguistic traditions. Gephyrophobia, meaning fear of bridges, is a film about movement, landscape and the tension between two very distinct identities sharing the Outaouais River as their common border.

In February of 2012, armed with a 16mm Bolex camera and 48 hours to shoot, four artistically minded friends set out on a Vertovian quest. Determinism and technical virtue were called upon frequently as the tiny crew moved swiftly from location to location spying on a city in movement. The weather was very forgiving for this time of year and it actually served to enhance the beauty of the images captured. A good sign that the experiment was a success can be determined by the fact that the ambitious filmmakers are still friends.