Martin Villeneuve: How I made an Impossible Film

Filmmaker Martin Villeneuve talks about ‘Mars et Avril’ the Canadian sci-fi spectacular he made with virtually no money. In a charming talk, he explains the various ways he overcame financial and logistical constraints to produce his unique and inventive vision of the future. In his film “Mars et Avril,” he brings his sci-fi romance graphic novel to glorious life.

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ABOUT Martin Villeneuve

“Martin Villeneuve is the writer/director/producer of Canadian sci-fi drama ‘Mars et Avril’. The film was adapted from his graphic novels by the same name.

Mars et Avril is a luscious sci-fi film, set in Montreal 50 years in future, where the subway line takes you straight to Mars. It’s a dreamy love story in which the acting is top-notch, the shots are stunning and the visual effects unreal.

He made it all for $2.3 million. To put that in perspective, Star Wars Episode III was shot for an estimated $133 million. “I made a film that was impossible to make, only I didn’t know it was impossible,” he said.

Jacob Obus (Jacques Languirand), a charismatic musician, takes pride in slowing down time by playing instruments inspired by women’s bodies, designed by his friend, Arthur (Paul Ahmarani).

A love triangle develops when Jacob and Arthur both fall in love with Avril (Caroline Dhavernas) a young photographer. Enter Eugene Spaak (Robert Lepage), inventor, cosmologist and Arthur’s father, who unveils a new theory about man’s desire to reach Mars and helps Jacob find the true meaning of life and love.”

Martin is the former Artistic Director for the ad agency Sid Lee that works with Cirque du Soleil. He’s now a Director at Moment Factory, and working with comic book masters Benoît Sokal and François Schuiten on a new script, Aquarica.”

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