Robert Lepage
Canada 2003 35mm 90min. french o.v.

In the 1960s, a Soviet lunar probe exposed the moon’s far side as scored and disfigured by storms of celestial debris. From this discovery, noted Québecois director Robert Lepage crafts an engaging metaphor of mysterious dualities, juxtaposing sibling rivalry with the US-Soviet space race. Philip (played by Lepage) is a forty-something doctoral student who has repeatedly failed to defend his dissertation (specifically, on the conquest of space). His gay brother André (also played by Lepage) is a moderately successful weather reporter. As the brothers dispose of their mother’s belongings, we gain insight into the forces that simultaneously oppose and unite these two very different men. Archival footage combines with sumptuous effects and subtle visual motifs to convey Philippe’s unique interpretation of his place in the world’s grand celestial scheme. A brilliant adaptation of his play, La Face cachée de la lune is a captivating cinematic journey that probes issues of competition and reconciliation while searching for meaning in the universe.