Crossed roots

Technique: photography.
Exhibition available in several formats.

More than a cultural mediation project, the Racines Croisées photographic project was an educational, social, documentary, and artistic laboratory. These images bear witness to the encounter between two generations, two seemingly diametrically opposed life contexts: on the one hand, the elderly of the city of Montreal and, on the other, adolescents aged between 12 and 16, all educated in so-called welcome classes intended for newcomers to Canada.

Through colorful stagings, a sort of photographic haikus, the project participants appropriated the memories of each other, the dreams of others, constructing
bridges and gateways between cultures and identities. The two worlds complemented each other with tenderness, humor, and fantasy, and bonds were forged between generations, as unbreakable as they were unexpected. The collective poetry born of these improbable encounters undoubtedly extends Joannie Lafrenière's unique perspective.

A short film by director Paul Tom documents the progress of the project initiated by Mélissa Lefebvre, a drama teacher at a high school in Montreal, Canada, and implemented by Joannie Lafrenière. The film can be viewed here.