REGARD 2025: Always the Same (dirs. Alexandre Cossette, Kevin Espinoza-Rivière) | Review
Through vivid depictions of popular Bingo games, Always the Same offers a realistic and endearing portrait of a segment of Quebec society.
In Matane, Quebec, it’s “always the same ones” who gather for lively Bingo games. In a local community hall, nearly fifty older residents sit at long tables, marker in hand, ready to dab the numbers on their cards in hopes of winning the jackpot. Between quick exchanges with their neighbors, they keep their ears sharp, careful not to miss the next number called. In Always the Same (Toujours les mêmes), directors Alexandre Cossette and Kevin Espinoza-Rivière use direct cinema to capture these ritual-like gatherings. The short documentary premiered at Les Percéides Film Festival in 2024 before being screened at Saguenay International Short Film Festival, aka REGARD, in 2025.
The directors capture these moments of conviviality with a spontaneous filming approach, painting a warmth and realistic portrait of these devoted Bingo players, figures from a lesser-seen part of Quebec society. This aging population, living quite far from the capital and the province’s economic center, nonetheless thrives within a dynamic community that contributes to broadening its horizons. Blending tight shots of a few main characters with wider frames of the collective, Toujours les mêmes invites viewers to reflect on the importance of communities and human connections in shaping regional dynamics. A theme that resonates with Åsmund Hasli’s documentary Ping Pong Family, presented at Nordisk Panorama in 2024.
The 29th Saguenay International Short Film Festival, also known as REGARD, is running on March 19-23, 2025.
