Suêtes
Produced, written & directed by Neal Livingston, 1999
This documentary traces the folklore, stories, and reality of living under the hurricane force winds, that beat down upon the residents of the Acadian region of Western Cape Breton Island, between Margaree Harbour and Cheticamp. The film contains stunning landscapes shot in winds of 130 miles per hour.
While there is often serious damage from these Suêtes, roofs blowing off buildings and even homes blowing apart, there is also a good dose of local humour surrounding life under these harsh environmental conditions. Residents from young to more than 90 years old tell their tales of life under these winds.
On the comic side artist Michel Williatte-Battet is hilarious as he attempts to hang up the laundry at 130 mph, read a newspaper outside, or just get in and out of his car and into and out of his house.
Suêtes was financed by Telefilm Canada, the Nova Scotia Film Development Corporation, and Black River Productions Limited. The French version was produced with assistance from the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund. Suêtes was produced with the financial participation of ATV in Atlantic Canada, CFCF TV in Quebec, ONtv in Ontario, and SCN in Saskatchewan.
Suetes from Neal Livingston on Vimeo.
"I recently had the pleasure of viewing Neal Livingston's 1999 film entitled Suêtes. ... I'm not sure if Livingston has a knack for making his subjects relax in front of the camera or if he purposely used footage of his less camera-shy interviewees, for all the people who told their stories relayed them in a relaxed and unfeigned manner. Often (his) camera would go into their living rooms, giving the film a down-to-earth tone. ... Suêtes is another highly original film from Livingston. I imagine documentaries about wind are primarily scientific and do not delve into the cultural impacts of the wind. I doubt many are as funny as Suêtes."
– Shunpiking Magazine, Feb/Mar, 2000.
