L'Ouragan: Troubled life of young boy focus of new film set in Montreal

A new film set in Montreal is making headlines and focuses on growing up in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Set in the 1990s in a tough part of town, 11-year-old Delphis's family is poor and unstable. To protect himself, he takes on the persona of l'Ouragan and turns to violence.

Writer and director Ara Ball says the scenes are raw and real.

"It was important to show the reality of a dysfunctional family, an abusive family, abusive husband, and not painted in a way that I felt would come across as fake, but honest," Ball said in an interview. "And I think there are some scenes that are really hard to deal with. But it was important for me to show that, especially since I was showing a child who's so violent, we had to show where he came from."

The film, like the people who made it, draws from English and French culture. Co-producers Kacim Steets and Frederic Bohbot say the set was comfortably bilingual.

L'Ouragan F.Y.T. opens Friday night at Cinéma Beaubien in French and Cinema du Parc with English subtitles.

Watch the video above for the full report by CTV News Montreals' Christine Long.