Synopsis
A dialogue between director Joannie Lafrenière and Hungarian-born photographer Gabor Szilasi, this film paints a tender and colorful portrait of this humanist artist who has spent the last 60 years documenting the eloquence of daily life in his host country, Quebec. Through various confidences, encounters, and stagings tinged with humor and complicity, Gabor shows a unique look at photography as much as at life and old age, which he approaches with curiosity, resilience, and optimism.
A word from Tënk
"The only thing the camera can photograph is the present moment," confides Gabor, with the utmost candor.
1/125 of a second, a tiny fraction, a beat. The dust of a moment is captured forever, allowing us to satisfy our primal need to overcome time through the survival of the image. For Gabor, the photographic impulse is directly proportional to his love of life, of people. His unwavering curiosity led him to document the everyday life of our society for most of his life, a legacy of tremendous artistic and patrimonial value for Quebec.
Transcending the traditional biopic or simple hommage film format, Joannie Lafrenière's documentary offers us the privilege of simply being in the artist's presence, accompanying him on his wanderings, camera in hand, eyes open, always reaching out to others. An inspiring work, in the image of Gabor, that invites us to take a better look, to better enjoy the present moment.
Jason Burnham
Tënk's programming coordinator
