Richelieu

Pier-Philippe Chevigny's 2023 Canadian film follows Ariane, starting work as an interpreter at a food processing plant. The plant brings in seasonal workers from Guatemala, and Ariane conveys what they say to management and what management wants to them. The subject is the interpreter's position. Ariane initially relays the boss's instructions exactly; as she sees the workers' situation she begins altering the translation, which means using a power never given to her. The narrative does not show the exploitation as open malice. Dependence on visas, deductions from wages and gaps in safety sit inside the procedure; nobody thinks they are doing anything unlawful. It is Chevigny's first feature and the locations are real. Who it's for: those who like Quebec cinema and dramas about labour. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an ending in which justice is done; the film closes without changing the order.