Roads, roots, and relationships: Quebec documentary explores identity and independence
Posted September 17, 2025 11:22 am.
Last Updated September 17, 2025 4:12 pm.
A new Quebec documentary is bringing to light the everyday struggles — and deep love — that exist between immigrant parents and their Canadian-born children.
Couper le cordon, directed by Émilie Porry, premiered in theatres across Quebec earlier this month.
The intimate, coming-of-age film follows Sarah Bouheraoua, a nearly 20-year-old student, as she navigates the tensions between family duty and her own independence.
“I think I need to trust myself and not be afraid about what is happening in life. Just do the things that you like,” Bouheraoua said.
‘It’s everyday life — and that’s the beauty of it‘
Porry, a filmmaker originally from Martinique, began the project after attending a photo exhibition in a multicultural housing complex in Montreal.
“I saw so many photos of people coming from all over the world, there were more than 70 nationalities represented over there,” Porry recalled. “I had the first time the idea to make a documentary over there, and then I met Sarah and her mom, Hadouja.”
Originally aiming to focus on cultural transmission, Porry said the project naturally shifted as she spent more time with the family.
“The more I realized that the movie should be on their relationship instead of only on transmission,” she said. “It’s a documentary about identity, love, liberty… the relationship between kids and parents.”
Porry, who was previously a journalist and has directed content for France 5, France Ô, TF1 and National Geographic, says working with Bouheraoua and her family was a gift.
“As a mother and a child, I’m really proud that they welcomed me for that documentary,” she said.
‘I try to live with the two worlds‘
At the heart of the film is Sarah— a disciplined athlete, artist, and student who says the filming process helped her reflect on who she is and who she wants to be.
“I like to paint. I don’t know why. Emily was like, continue to paint, continue to sell your thing. You never know what is happening next,” Bouheraoua says. “I love the fact that I am Algerian. I am also Canadian.
“I try to live with the two worlds. I try to mix them together so I can live a good life.”
The documentary features emotional moments of family connection — including a simple dinner of couscous — that Bouheraoua says brought her closer to her family.
“It was a really nice moment. It was like going in the past, like the times before,” she said.
A message for immigrant families
Producer Gentille Menguizani Assih, founder of Productions Colorées Inc., says the film reflects her own experience as a mother of two young adults.
“Sarah’s story touched my attention because I saw myself in this family,” Assih said. “I am facing the same challenges.”
Assih said getting the film funded was difficult. “It seems like because they are Muslim, people are afraid to work on this kind of thing, to just collaborate with us,” she said.
Thanks to support from Natyf TV, the production was able to move forward after two years of financial uncertainty.
Assih says the film offers a much-needed reminder to both generations.
“All parents, especially immigrant parents, need to listen to their children,” she said. “They are young adults… sometimes it is just a matter of communication.”
She believes Bouheraoua story offers a hopeful message: “This young girl finds a way to negotiate with her parents without being in confrontation.”
Adding dream-like layers
To reflect Sarah’s imagination and inner world, the film also uses animation. Montreal-based artist Ismael Mossadeq created visual sequences that blend fantasy with real-life emotions.
“Sometimes we just go overboard and Sarah is flying on a giant bird,” Mossadeq said. “I’m crazy about it. We actually had the leeway to create and tell the story in another way.”
A child of Moroccan immigrants himself, Mossadeq says the project felt deeply personal.
“The whole story of Sarah is actually immigrating from Algeria. It’s really close to me,” he said. “It has been a challenge to tell the actual story and keep all the craziness in it.”
