The Rio Theatre presents Jésus de Montréal (Jesus of Montreal)

The Passion Play has been a success for more than 40 years at a Montreal church, but the old-fashioned staging has made modern audiences restless. When the priest in charge hires a young troupe of actors to stage a revised and more inventive version, things don’t go exactly as planned.

Combining religion and some unconventional theories about Jesus, the troupe’s work begins to ruffle some feathers in the Catholic church, even as the life of main actor Daniel (Bluteau) starts to mirror the Messiah’s journey in unexpected and poignant ways. 

Told with sharp humour and heart, the film received critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the Genie for Best Picture and the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.