On 30 October 1995 the Québec electorate was asked to vote on the future of their region in a referendum: should the provincial government initiate an independence process with the Canadian state, or not? The result was unexpectedly close: 50.58% voted against, while 49.42% voted for. 15 years earlier, a similar referendum gathered 59.56% " No" votes.
Should they stay together or split up? This is a question that Joseph and Emma have already resolved – the former couple have gone their own separate ways. But the referendum lets them take another look at their relationship. It is autumn, the beach is empty and cool, the house on the Gaspésie peninsula is an echo chamber for feelings and memories – a temporary home for an encounter of an unclear duration. Just like the latest film by Dufour-Laperrière, Archipelago, which explores the same landscape, Ville Neuve is at its core a dialogue, in spite of a few supporting characters. Unlike Archipelago, however, the form of Ville Neuve is strongly minimal: a few, clear lines and strong, expressive surfaces define the quasi-monochrome animation. If Joseph and Emma find each other again, will Québec then decide to go its own way in the next referendum?
