Monday, August 20, 2012

Suzanne Desrochers's "Bride of New France"

Suzanne Desrochers grew up in the French-Canadian village of Lafontaine on the shores of Georgian Bay, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, she is currently writing a Ph.D. thesis at King's College, London, comparing the migration of French and British women to North America in the early modern period. She has lived in Paris and Tokyo and traveled extensively throughout Asia. Her travel writing has appeared in Toronto's Now Magazine, and she has presented her history papers at academic conferences and seminars.

Here Desrochers dreamcasts an adaptation of Bride of New France, her first novel:
Bride of New France has actually been optioned for film in Canada so hopefully I will have the opportunity to see actors playing my characters soon enough!

I'm not sure who I would specifically cast, but Laure would need to be played by a young actress (like Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation only dark haired and preferably French). I think it should be a French/CanAm co-production to ensure authenticity in the Salpêtrière scenes in Paris, French language, etc. Again, the role of Deskaheh would be best played by an up and coming young First Nations actor (preferably Canadian). I would love to see the midwife, Madame Rouillard, played by Jodie Foster who said she will play roles of older women rather than be a "botoxed weirdo". She's tough enough to carry the role and is fluent in French. She even has a husky voice like the midwife. Heck, Jodie Foster could direct the whole thing. Except, like me, she has two kids who have eclipsed all else in her life! And she would cost a fortune!
Visit Suzanne Desrochers' webpage, and learn more about Bride of New France at the publisher's website.

--Marshal Zeringue