FEATURE FILM | DOCUMENTARY
BILLY
A documentary by Lawrence Côté-Collins
Synopsis
Filmmaker Lawrence Côté-Collins finds her attacker in prison. She wants to understand, forgive, and support a suffering man. Billy is schizophrenic, and his most serious crisis left two dead. Their pen-and-ink prison friendship sheds light on the truth about this mental illness, which was neither diagnosed nor treated. Together, they share their stories and rebuild their lives through intimate correspondence and previously unseen video archives.
scope | 5.1 | color | 105 min | Canada (Quebec) | DCP & ProRes | French + STE
Key speakers
Billy Poulin, Lawrence Côté-Collins
Why is this? Vital?
For its truth and vulnerability.
Festivals and Awards
Visions du Réel - Nyon International Film Festival | World Premiere - April 2024
RIDM – Montreal International Documentary Festival | North American Premiere - November 2024
LIFF - Leeds International Film Festival | UK Premiere - November 2024
Memorimage – Reus Film Festival | Spanish premiere - November 2024
Molodist – Kyiv International Film Festival | Ukrainian Premiere – November 2024
Front Doc Aosta International Film Festival | Italian Premiere – November 2024
Terraviva Film Festival | Italy – November 2024
FFAVM - Val-Morin Auteur Film Festival | Regional Premiere - May 2025
Team
Scénario et réalisation - Lawrence Côté-Collins
Direction de la photographie - Lawrence Côté-Collins
Montage - Alexandre Leblanc, Josiane Lapointe,
Lawrence Côté-Collins
Production - Vuk Stojanovic, Lawrence Côté-Collins
Conception sonore - Benoit Dame
Musique - Martin Roy, Luc Sicard
