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Determined to start life anew following a devastating act of mercy, a Montreal man drives north in hopes of escaping his painful past in the debut feature from emerging filmmaker Denis Côté. Christian (Christian LeBlanc) is a devoted son who caters to his comatose mother with a loving hand. Knowing that his failing mother has no hope of recovery, Christian carries a pillow into her room and the continuous beep of her life support system stretch into an endless, piercing tone. Setting his sights north and shaving his head and beard, Christian travels to the town of James Bay and finds a job as a garbage collector. Though his new surroundings are at first somewhat intimidating in their unfamiliarity, the kindly citizens of James Bay soon accept the conscientious newcomer as one of their own, and Christian discovers a newfound appreciation for life in the rural community after being surrounded by death for so long.