Last month, I found myself stuck in a rapid rotation of calls, content-binging, and checking my phone. A Facebook scroll tells me a movie I saw at Lux Magna last winter is now up on YouTube. It was snowing lightly that day: the Plateau street lamps gave off a cozy winter glow that makes you want to stay in, curled-up in a blanket— the perfect setting for a rewatch.

While the snow fell outside my window, I watched the all-too-relatable Jaine (Nikki Shaffeeullah) wander the snowy streets of Montreal in The Lower Plateau, pondering her life, her relationships, and whether or not she should decisively bounce to Toronto. Produced by Montreal’s Dépanneur Films, the movie gives a window into life as a young anglophone navigating a hard Montreal winter in and around Saint-Laurent. Alongside my own memories on St. Lau (which now include the somber image of a long line outside Segal’s), the movie was a fun, nostalgic trip around familiar streets that have felt anxious and empty as of late. 

The film’s writer and director Liz Singh drew on her own life to tell this story in the film, integrating her community to make the film with a small team on a tight budget. I had the opportunity to chat with Liz, and producers Amanda Murphy and Clare Raspopow about Dépanneur Films, their team process, and what the film means to them. 

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Liz currently works at Head and Hands, coordinating youth outreach and support with a harm reduction approach. Liz’s job has involved distributing essential harm reduction supplies to people and organizations, and setting up a chat-line for Montreal youth who have questions about COVID-19. 

A McGill cultural studies grad originally from Windsor, Ontario, Liz returned to Montreal a few years ago after studying film at the University of Southern California. She was ready to jump into filmmaking, but found the scene discouraging. “At the time I was bartending, and struggling to write. I’d meet people from the film industry, some were creeps or just pretending, and I had several offers to work in porn — some well-intentioned, and some less so.” After going through some experiences like her character Jaine’s (no spoilers, go watch the movie), she cut her hair, visited India, and wrote what would become the film’s script.

Realizing the film required a team that Liz could rely on, and who she felt comfortable with. Enter Clare and Amanda, close friends of Liz who both have a wealth of experience and perspective on studying, living, and working in Montreal over the past decade. The Lower Plateau was a debut feature production for both of them.

Clare and Amanda both described Liz as a generous collaborator, happy to share a lot of her own skills and expertise. “Liz and I were bartending at Bifteck at the time,” says Amanda, who has a background in writing and in community work. “I was helping out during production and continued to take on different work for the film. It was a great atmosphere, no one would shame you for not knowing things.” According to Liz, “What keeps women and marginalized people out of the industry is this myth that you need expertise to make film.”

One topic that came up often in our conversation was this ability to make independent art with the support of a creative ecosystem like Montreal’s. “This isn’t a movie that could be made in another city,” says Clare. It’s common knowledge that this community support lends itself to the unique art culture in Montreal. “People can make art even when it’s not necessarily their job, give their time to work on other people’s projects,” adds Amanda.

As the cost of living goes up, this lifestyle becomes less and less tenable. Even from 2017, (when the Lower Plateau was filmed), to now, changes in the neighborhood highlight the tensions taking place as the ecosystem evolves. “The Lower Plateau was slated to be completely demolished by the city. It was going to be razed, and they were going to build a new neighborhood there because it was economically depressed, and by virtue of Montreal starting projects and not finishing them, that never happened. It became a cool and affordable area. Artists moved in and dive bars popped up. You could be an independent business, rent wasn’t too expensive, and it generated its own creative scene,” Clare explains. “Now, you can see the stress between the longstanding businesses that contributed to the livelihood of the neighbourhood, and you can feel the neighborhood shutting down. One of the venues we shot in, Le Divan Orange, was shut down because their neighbours didn’t like the noise that a music venue is bound to make. It was an institution that made the neighborhood what it was - a home for artists.” 

Gentrification in the area means that spaces are emptier, and it’s palpable. “I think the Airbnbs are toxic to our neighbourhoods, and I’ve got to say, if some of the more predatory versions of it can get shut down after COVID-19 it’ll be a silver lining,” says Liz. “There’s also a huge unhoused community, despite there being room for them.” 

“It’s not all sad,” points out Clare. The Plateau still retains that quality, and is still diverse and thriving on many fronts. “I like to think of [right now] as a dip, and I hope that feeling comes back — and it remains a place where people can try new things, and discover who they are, and play their Alanis Morissette covers.”

As for the future of Dépanneur Films, all three tell me there is plenty of content in the works, and they are currently writing grant applications. The Lower Plateau is now up on YouTube, and free to watch. They have a few web series written, pending funding, and a short film they are ready to shoot as soon as it’s safe and responsible to do so. “We are hoping we can make this short film, boost our views, and sort of boost our credentials through that.” 

Reflecting on life and art, after quarantine, Liz is positive. “I think people will make some amazing art, and we’ll all experiment with ways to share it with one another. We’re working on a series of writing workshops right now, and I’m really hoping to plug into different kinds of support. We’ll see what we can do. We’re excited to see what happens.” 

Stream The Lower Plateau here
Follow the The Lower Plateau

If you are interested in Dépanneur Films’ writing workshops, contact their team here

By Nabeela Jivraj

Nabeela is from Calgary, and came to Montreal to study and work in public health.

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