Comptines

The melodies and lyrics of childhood rhymes stick with us forever. “The twelve months of the year are…”

Children’s games may seem trivial, but all it takes is a filmmaker choosing to pay attention to what is often dismissed as background noise to reveal an entire world. A world of precious childhood, playfulness, friendships, bursts of laughter, and the little games of inclusion and exclusion.

In this short film, filmmaker Manon Barbeau turns her gaze — and her microphone — toward skipping games and hand games played by young girls. Their vitality is striking.

Shot on film by Serge Giguère and Pierre Mignot, the film beautifully captures the colors of the 1970s — from the children’s clothing to the alleys and parks of Montreal. These saturated hues carry the energy of the bouncing girls and awaken a strong sense of nostalgia.

For Manon Barbeau, the film is about the carefree spirit of young girls. And as it ends, we’re left with a desire to rediscover our own—maybe jumping elastics a little less high, but not missing a single word of those oft-recited rhymes. Childhood never truly leaves us.

Christine Chevarie
Filmmaker