Matthew Wolkow

An unfinished film is passed along from one friend to another. The dialog between them is a journey crossed by the swarming of the Great Eastern Brood X of periodical cicadas that prophetically emerge every 17 years in the United States, invoking a reflection of a post-pandemic present and our shared futures. A road movie composed of a chorus of voices (both human and non-human), the warnings of history, the power of nature and rebirth.

At once simple, profound and light-hearted, Minutes is a play on words; a deliberative game and puzzle.

Halfway between real memories, dedication and fantasy, this essay-poem takes the form of a postcard on a background of maritime fable in which eloquent speakers trace the outlines of a legacy, that of a mysterious mentor.

In 2024, an extraordinary phenomenon unfolded in Illinois: the simultaneous emergence of billions of periodical cicadas—an event occurring every 221 years. Part travelogue and essay, the film chronicles the bicentennial encounter of species by following those who listen closely to the cicadas’ songs, while connecting the insect life cycle to the history of America. Through deep listening sessions, and in the quest for hearing the elusive cicada sounds, one may ask: what is an image of the future?

An anachronistic firefighter, a quotidian poet, and an expert soup-maker, Ducarmel also plays in a competitive basketball league. There’s only one problem with his hobbies: finding a babysitter to look after his daughter. Moreover, when he dozes off in the evening, he dreams… a little too forcefully. In his bizarre dream world, a beguiling blue book reigns, love looms, and he is the best basketball player of all time.

Exterior. Day. Montreal / On the outskirts of the metropolitan highway, there is a Mediterranean fig tree / Named Ficus carica, this tree is the work of a 60-year-old Montrealer of Argentine origin / The miracle of a backyard where three regions of the world meet / The story of an observation.

An unfinished film is passed along from one friend to another. The dialog between them is a journey crossed by the swarming of the Great Eastern Brood X of periodical cicadas that prophetically emerge every 17 years in the United States, invoking a reflection of a post-pandemic present and our shared futures. A road movie composed of a chorus of voices (both human and non-human), the warnings of history, the power of nature and rebirth.

At once simple, profound and light-hearted, Minutes is a play on words; a deliberative game and puzzle.

Halfway between real memories, dedication and fantasy, this essay-poem takes the form of a postcard on a background of maritime fable in which eloquent speakers trace the outlines of a legacy, that of a mysterious mentor.

In 2024, an extraordinary phenomenon unfolded in Illinois: the simultaneous emergence of billions of periodical cicadas—an event occurring every 221 years. Part travelogue and essay, the film chronicles the bicentennial encounter of species by following those who listen closely to the cicadas’ songs, while connecting the insect life cycle to the history of America. Through deep listening sessions, and in the quest for hearing the elusive cicada sounds, one may ask: what is an image of the future?

In 2024, an extraordinary phenomenon unfolded in Illinois: the simultaneous emergence of billions of periodical cicadas—an event occurring every 221 years. Part travelogue and essay, the film chronicles the bicentennial encounter of species by following those who listen closely to the cicadas’ songs, while connecting the insect life cycle to the history of America. Through deep listening sessions, and in the quest for hearing the elusive cicada sounds, one may ask: what is an image of the future?

Exterior. Day. Montreal / On the outskirts of the metropolitan highway, there is a Mediterranean fig tree / Named Ficus carica, this tree is the work of a 60-year-old Montrealer of Argentine origin / The miracle of a backyard where three regions of the world meet / The story of an observation.

"A l likeness is a gift... it avoids... or confuses time if your prefer." said John Berger. Following this premise, 81.92 is a structuralist inquiry into the notion of presence and absence as it reveals archival radio broadcasts from former Montreal radio host Mike Wolkow. The former (the audible) is left invisible while the later (the visible) seeks to find the missing elements that trace the passage of this vocal presence. Past and present interplay in this piece that shifts between epochs, thus mimicking a radio signal that is being tuned in.

This short film tells the story of a meeting between two neighbours, in Ahuntsic and Villeray, around memories of Portugal; it is a story of two very different cities, Montreal and Lisbon; of an old man who has come to terms with death; of two strangers separated by an ocean but connected by the flight of a homing pigeon. Birds are the guides for this poetic meandering, exploring memories of the past and portents of the future. A dissonant score accompanies a split screen, completing the impression that we are confronted with a sensory puzzle, at once natural and urban, in which meditation takes its cues from fragments of reality. Matthew Wolkow’s film is a gentle ornithological, human and floral tale, suffused with both hope and the grim anxieties of our time. (Apolline Caron-Ottavi)

Beginning at the Doors of Hell, on the Path of the Burned, this tale follows a meeting between an entomologist, a curious mind and a tiger, also known as Papilio canadensis or Canadian tiger swallowtail.

Montreal... a museum... a garage... Chile... Muchas Cosas Juntas... Plusieurs choses ensemble... Many things together...