Mon Oncle Antoine

Directed by Claude Jutra and released in 1971, 'Mon Oncle Antoine' is a coming-of-age drama set in a rural Quebec mining town during the 1940s. The film follows a young boy named Benoît who works in his uncle's general store and funeral parlor, coming of age during a fateful Christmas Eve when he must help transport a coffin across the snowy countryside.

In both the 1984 and 2015 Toronto International Film Festival polls of greatest Canadian films, 'Mon Oncle Antoine' ranked first. It is celebrated for its authentic depiction of Quebec culture and its sensitive portrait of adolescence, often compared to François Truffaut's 'The 400 Blows' as a lyrical coming-of-age masterpiece.

Claude Jutra directed the film and also appears in it as Fernand, the store clerk who mentors the young protagonist. Jutra was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and died in 1986, a tragedy that deeply affected the Canadian film community.

The film has been restored and is available on DVD through various distributors specializing in world cinema. It is also periodically featured in retrospective screenings at Canadian film institutions and festivals, and may be available through select streaming platforms depending on region.