Montreal Main: A Queer Film Classic

A great Canadian indie film from 1974 that has become a cult classic, about a photographer living among various outcasts in the Montreal neighborhood known as the Main, who becomes obsessed with the teenaged son of friends. Montreal Main is a considered a cult classic; produced in 1974, this Canadian film had its debut at the Whitney Museum in New York. Despite the auspicious premiere, the film fell into obscurity over the ensuing decades due to its unprecedented themes, namely the growing attraction felt by a adult photographer for the teenaged son of acquaintances. While the relationship remains unconsummated throughout the film, director Frank Vitale’s matter-of-fact treatment of the plot would be problematic for filmmakers even today. Contemporary viewing reveals the film to be considerably less sensational than its subject matter would suggest; it is a fascinating cinema verite take on 1970s mores and relationships.