East End Kids

Meet children in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, the neighbourhood in Montreal where the filmmaker grew up and whose name conjures up images of poverty and social problems. The film gives voice to children growing up there— children who, people say, have few chances of escaping their condition, yet who have hopes and fears and desires like everyone else on the road to adulthood. We get to know their neighbourhood, the world around them, and the issues that concern them: their families, their hangouts; love and friendship, poverty, violence, what they see of drug use and prostitution, and school life. By filming the children in their own environment, the film gains insight into the characters’ daily lives. Going beyond fear, sorrow and resignation, the film shines with the radiance of these children and speaks of the strength and beauty of their lives and aspirations, opening up a space where hope can triumph.