Kino Montreal presents The War of the toques: Reimagined

A Quebec classic released in the winter of 1984, this Quebec comedy-drama, originally directed by André Melançon, is much more than a film about a particular generation—it’s a film about identity. The young residents of a small village in the Baie-Saint-Paul region decide to spend their Christmas holidays playing war. Two armies face off, and the winning team will share a haul of miscellaneous items. Almost all the children eventually join in the game, all except Ti-Guy La Lune, the peaceful nature-lover, and his cousin Daniel Blanchette from Victoriaville, who is visiting for the festive season. Throughout all this, Pierre, one of the young lads, is very worried because his dog Cléo is ill, and his parents no longer want her inside the house. But then Pierre and his team build an incredible fortress of snow and ice, full of secret hiding places, doors, windows, decorations, towers, and battlements, as well as emergency exits—which are, of course, secret too.