Devour! Opening Gala Film: Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart

Zachary Richard, Cajun Heart (Zachary Richard toujours batailleur)

World-renowned singer Zachary Richard is on a quest to understand why Acadians and Cajuns are such resilient people and the pertinence of the Acadian identity today. He traces the journey of his heritage in the Acadian areas of the Maritime provinces of Canada to discover the trials and tribulations of his ancestors, the Richard and Boudreaux families. Zachary then returns to Louisiana to explore what has been kept in the culture from this Acadian heritage on the 250th anniversary of their arrival here. Will he be capable of coming to terms with his past, to forgive, and look towards the future?

Canada, 2017, 80 minutes
Director: Phil Comeau
Distributor: Bellefeuille Production

On this special evening, we will also screen and award the youth winner of the Nourish Nova Scotia Food & Film Challenge, where we invited children and youth of all ages to make a short film about Food on the Coast. The winner will receive a $500.00 prize from Nourish Nova Scotia to support a healthy eating program or initiative in their school/community and $500.00 in equipment from CBC. 

Ticket Price: $25.00
Sponsored by Office of Acadian Affairs and Francophonie, CBC Atlantic, Telefilm Canada

We will be joined by director Phil Comeau in conversation with Natalie Robichaud, the executive the director of la Société acadienne de Clare, following the film.

Phil Comeau

Director-writer Phil Comeau is originally from Clare Municipality, N.S., and now lives in Moncton and Montreal. He has directed more than a hundred documentary and drama films which have won more than 665 awards around the world. An essential figure in Acadian cinema, Phil is one of the great witnesses of contemporary Acadie. Questioning history, culture and identity, his work constitutes a remarkable fresco tracing the exile, resistance and emancipation of the Acadians.

Natalie Robichaud

Born and raised in the Municipality of Clare in southwest Nova Scotia, Natalie Robichaud is presently the Executive Director of la Société acadienne de Clare and devotes much of her time to community and cultural development. She is an avid square-set dancer and caller and spends a lot of time doing research about Acadian culture and history. She has been a board member of la Fédération culturelle acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse for over 10 years and is currently the vice-president of the congrès mondial acadien 2024. @grassruth