Hochelaga as seen by Joannie Lafrenière

“The perspective I’ve brought to the commission and the photos I’ve taken also encapsulate what excites me about the neighbourhood. It’s the people I meet, the light, the colours, the beauty. The beauty in hardship. That’s what I was trying to capture.”
– Joannie Lafrenière

The McCord Stewart Museum presents as part of the Evolving Montreal series: Hochelaga as seen by Joannie Lafrenière. Photographer and film director Joannie Lafrenière offers an intimate dive into the Hochelaga neighbourhood in Montreal, follow her in the the streets, alleys, and businesses to learn about her work and the photographic commission initiated by the Museum.

Evolving Montreal

Evolving Montreal is a series of photographic commissions initiated by the McCord Stewart Museum to support documentary projects that capture the transformations of Montreal neighbourhoods through unique points of view. 

Joannie Lafrenière

Joannie Lafrenière holds degrees in journalism and photography. She is interested in all the captivating people who cross her path. Combining her anthropological curiosity with her love for humour, human beings and pop culture, she approaches documentary making as the art of encounter, and her camera as the tool for real connection. Her previous films, The woman who saw the bear, Snowbirds, and King Lajoie, have been shown on television and in theatres around the world. She feels privileged to have recently completed Gabor, a documentary feature film about the oh-so-inspiring individual that is Gabor Szilasi. Joannie lives, works and plays in Montreal and wherever life takes her. 

Hochelaga – Evolving Montreal

Visit the exhibition Hochelaga – Evolving Montreal at the McCord Stewart Museum until September 10, 2023. 

Videographer: Émilie B. Guérette