L'Arpège

After locking herself from the outside world, Élyse, a former deaf pianist, begins to perceive the sounds around her as rays of colour.

Yet, this gift is not as radiant as it seems. Through connection and love, Élyse navigates the treacherous waters of confidence and true happiness.

Featuring the music of award-winning composer Jean-Michel Blais (i.e. Mathias & Maxime).

(See PDF Press Kit for detailed synopsis)

French subtitles, DCP, 5.1 Surround available upon request.

  • Joshua Maheu
    Director
    S.U.G.A.R. (2017)
  • Joshua Maheu
    Writer
    S.U.G.A.R. (2017)
  • Jean-Michel Blais
    Music By
    Mathias & Maxime
  • Marie Duprez-Pannetrat
    Key Cast
    "Élyse"
    Le Mystère de l'Oiseau Bleu, Les Pévétistes, La fidélité, The Card
  • Natasha Quirke
    Key Cast
    "Audrey"
    DC's Legends of Tomorrow, When Calls The Heart, Lost in Space, The Tudors
  • Tanya Jutras
    Producer
    When My Demon Speaks
  • Alexandre Pilon
    Director of Photography
    Renaissance
  • Taryn Birkett
    Production Designer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    L'Arpège
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Coming of Age, LGBTQ Film
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 51 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    2,894 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    American Sign Language, English, French
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Vancouver Film School
  • Reale Film Festival
    Milan
    Italy
    July 25, 2020
    Winner - Best Soundtrack
  • Uruvatti International Film Festival
    Tamil Nadu
    India
    December 3, 2020
    Indian Premiere
    Winner - Best Women's Film
  • Uruvatti International Film Festival
    Tamil Nadu
    India
    December 3, 2020
    Indian Premiere
    Special Jury Award - Best Student Short Film
  • Vancouver Short Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    January 22, 2021
    Official Selection
  • "Eurasia Fest" International Film Festival
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    Russian Premiere
    Finalist - Best Short Film
  • 1904 Deaf Film Festival
    Missouri
    United States
    May 30, 2020
    Special Online Event
    Finalist - Best Short Narrative
  • 1904 Deaf Film Festival
    Missouri
    United States
    May 30, 2020
    Special Online Event
    Finalist - Audience choice Award
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence
    Italy
    Italian Premiere
    Finalist - Best Short Narrative
  • Indian International Short Film Festival

    India
    December 17, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Paris Lift-Off
    Paris
    France
    Private Screening
    Official Online Selection
  • Prisma Independent Film Festival
    Rome
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • Seize The Film
    Novi Sad
    Serbia
    September 23, 2020
    Serbian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • New West Film Fest
    Vancouver
    Canada
    Online Event
    Official Selection
  • Oaxaca Film Fest

    Mexico
    June 16, 2021
    Official Selection - Short Narrative
Director Biography - Joshua Maheu

Montreal-born screenwriter/director Joshua Maheu’s mission is to showcase the stories of underrepresented voices. From people with differing abilities to Queer culture,
Joshua aims to shape the world into a more inclusive place.

Joshua Maheu first pursued an educational path in Communications Studies at Concordia University, in Montreal, before fully committing to his passion of storytelling.

Within his curriculum, his final film project S.U.G.A.R. (2017) truly led him to his filmic debut while winning his first award at the North American Film Awards.

After completing his bachelor’s degree, his pursuit took him to the sought-after Vancouver Film School where he completed a one-year film production degree. During said year, he wrote and directed his most recent award-winning success: L'Arpège (2019).

Having curated summers and worked at camps for children with disabilities for ten years, L’Arpège remains a truly introspective and intimate project. He wrote the piece as a response to the representation of people with disabilities in cinema.

Thus far, L'Arpège has won Best Soundtrack (2020 Reale Film Festival), Best Women's Short Film and a Jury Award for Best Student Film (2020 Uruvatti International Film Festival) along with six finalist awards for Best Short Film (i.e. Eurasia Fest 2020, Florence Film Festival 2019, 1904 Deaf Film Festival) and Audience's Choice (1904 Deaf Film Festival); while having accumulated multiple official selections worldwide.

As he is excited to conclude L’Arpège's festival run, Joshua is currently in the works of his first series, which has already won a Finalist Award for Best TV Script (2020 Wiki Screenwriting Contest) and was a Semifinalist in Screencraft's 2021 TV Pilot Competition.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

L’Arpège is all about connection. Connection with the self. Connection with others. Connection with our past.

It is about finding your inner light, with the guidance of external stimuli, through the darkest of times; allowing yourself to actualize your outlook on life as well as your confidence.

We want to tell this story to help people grow. To heal. To understand their behaviour. This short narrative is supposed to instigate self-reflection within its viewers. Each will take something away from it that is different from another based on their own trauma.

To allow people to witness how trauma does not have to take control over one’s life.

Rather, to see how the people we love can inspire us. Change us. Move us.