For the Ones to Come

What more can be said about For the Ones to Come that hasn’t already been said? For over six decades, this mythical film, like a precious stone dropped between the salt and sweet water of our collective imagination, has continued to emit fertile ripples that resonate deep within us. Why does this film continue to move us so profoundly? Why do we never quite recover from its impact? Perhaps it’s because it encapsulates a pivotal moment in our society’s transformation, capturing the dawn of the Quiet Revolution and the sweeping changes that would push traditions to their final frontiers at the confluence of burgeoning modernity. Perhaps it’s because it reflects the vibrant creative energy unleashed by new technical advancements that revolutionized cinema, enabling filmmakers to truly connect with people through lightweight portable cameras and synchronous sound that captured life with an unprecedented spontaneity. Or perhaps it’s the film’s gripping images and evocative speech that imprint themselves indelibly in each of us, leaving the haunting impression of having encountered the ghosts of our ancestors. Beyond its historical, aesthetic, and cinematic significance, For the Ones to Come most powerfully stirs the unfathomable depths of our souls, where intellect surrenders to pure emotion. Beware of the Stendhal syndrome! It is a window into the psyche and cosmogony of a vanished Québec that still slumbers somewhere within us, like an enduring echo. This film never ceases to (re)teach us how to dream in the present, forging bridges between the past and the future, weaving together these three temporalities into a continuous and nourishing dialogue. For the Ones to Come fonctions as a lighthouse, offering illumination and guidance. It is a gentle yet urgent invitation to reconnect with our profound memories while keeping our eyes fixed on a meaningful horizon. So that the world may go on...

Jason Burnham
Tënk editorial manager