My Riches Have Caused My Privations

Only a few years after the American documentary Pumping Iron (1977) showcased Arnold Schwarzenegger’s undeniable charisma, Robert Morin trains his camera on André Guilbault, an entrepreneur whose trump card is his Herculean physique. It’s an incursion into an extremely codified and largely inaccessible world. To make a name in this world of giants, every day has to revolve around the body. Recruiting new members means demanding respect and dealing with the sacrifices required. While anything but natural, this lifestyle still holds a certain fascination. These muscle-bound men, as much artists as athletes, seem to exist purely for public approval. Among themselves, the stretching, photo shoots, posing, massages and oiling takes place in a true spirit of camaraderie. But when alone, staring at his reflection in the mirror, the bodybuilder seems to be missing something: never satisfied, always looking to bulk up his triceps or better define a particular abdominal muscle. There’s something Sisyphean, in an almost literal sense, about a bodybuilder’s efforts. Through video, a medium that Morin pushes farther than anyone else, the pomp and the glamour are stripped from the circumstances, turning these demi-gods back into human beings.

Paul Landriau
Director of Programming, Plein(s) Écran(s)