Perspective (film series)
A love triangle in nine chapters, shot over nine years.
Perspective is a Canadian episodic drama film written and directed by B. P. Paquette. It follows three characters, all named “Alex,” over nine years, with the story told across nine chapters that were shot over the same period. The film stars Stéphane Paquette, Patricia Tedford, and Pandora Topp, who each play all three Alex roles at various points, rotating the characters across the chapters. Each chapter premiered exclusively at the Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival, one per year from 2012 to 2020.
The project, subtitled *Variations on a Love Triangle in 9 Chapters*, began in 2012 and was completed in 2020. Each chapter runs 15 to 30 minutes, for a total runtime of 179 minutes. The time gap between chapters is built into the narrative. At each new premiere, all previous chapters were screened again. The film was shot and set in Northern Ontario, with music and sound design (credited as “soundscapes”) by Daniel Bédard, picture editing by Ernest Riffe, and cinematography by Ivan Gekoff.
Paquette used *Perspective* as a teaching tool for his film production students in the Motion Picture Arts program at Thorneloe University, to show that a feature film can be made without large budgets, famous actors, or big crews.
In each chapter, the three actors rotate which of the three Alex roles they play. As Paquette explained, the goal is to prevent the audience from linking a character to a single actor—so at any point, all actors play all characters.
The nine chapters are titled: Chapter 1: Salt & Soda (2012), Chapter 2: Chris and Other Beards (2013), Chapter 3: Hush, hsuH (2014), Chapter 4: Reflecting (2015), Chapter 5: Triangulation (2016), Chapter 6: The Saddest Lines (2017), Chapter 7: Me, Myself, and I (2018), Chapter 8: Marital Accumulation (2019), and Chapter 9: The Shed of Theseus (2020).
Quick Facts
- Director
- B. P. Paquette
- Starring
- Stéphane Paquette / Patricia Tedford / Pandora Topp
- Music
- Daniel Bedard
- Cinematography
- Ivan Gekoff
- Editing
- Ernest Riffe
- Studio
- Next Phase
- Runtime
- 179 minutes
- Country
- Canada
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $1.2 million CAD
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Perspective was written and directed by B. P. Paquette and stars Stéphane Paquette, Patricia Tedford, and Pandora Topp, who each play all three Alex roles at various points, rotating the characters across the chapters. The film is unique in that it is a feature-length fiction film that started in 2012 and continued to evolve until its completion in 2020. Every year a new chapter was presented exclusively at Cinéfest until the project was complete. Each chapter runs approximately 15 to 30 minutes, with the completed film running 179 minutes. The time-lapse between chapters is integrated into the narrative. At the premiere of each additional chapter, the preceding chapters were replayed. Shot and set in Northern Ontario, the film features music and sound design by Daniel Bédard, picture editing by Ernest Riffe, and cinematography by Ivan Gekoff. B. P. Paquette employed Perspective as a teaching tool for his film production students in the Motion Picture Arts program at Thorneloe University. 'It was to encourage the students that they don't need millions of dollars, big movie stars and huge crews to make a feature-length film,' said Paquette.
Reader's Guide
Perspective is significant as a long-term film project that used real time passage as a narrative device. Its nine chapters, each shot and premiered annually, allowed the actors' natural aging to become part of the story. The film's most distinctive feature is the rotating casting: in each chapter, the three actors switch which of the three characters named 'Alex' they play. As Paquette explained, 'We’re not letting the audience identify a character with an actor... So, at all times, all of the actors are all of the characters.' This approach challenges conventional character identification and emphasizes the theme of perspective. The film also served as a pedagogical tool, demonstrating to students that a feature film can be made without large budgets or star casts. Its legacy lies in its experimental structure and its demonstration of how time and role-swapping can be woven into a coherent narrative.
Did You Know?
- The film features only three performers who each play, at various points, each of the three characters named 'Alex'.
- The film was used as a teaching tool for film production students in the Motion Picture Arts program at Thorneloe University.
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