Ordinary Tenderness

It's the dead of winter in Quebec. Jumping from one to another, three connected stories are told, the first two somewhat parallel to each other, with the third told in flashbacks. These stories show the human bonding that occurs between friends, lovers and sometimes even strangers out of circumstance. The first focuses on Jocelyn, a lumberjack who has been working the back country based out of Schefferville for a few months, as he tries to make his way home to the small town of Notre-Dame-du-Portage on the south shore, the multi-day, less than direct trip requiring him to make his way to Quebec City before crossing the river. A camaraderie of sorts forms between him and a number of travelers as some, including him, need those connections either practically and/or emotionally. The second focuses on Esther, Jocelyn's wife, as she receives a visit from her friend Bernadette one evening, the two who partake in one activity after another that friends do in just hanging out. While she appreciates the company, Esther may sometimes just need the solitude of her situation. And the third shows Jocelyn and Esther as they went about many of their routine and not so routine tasks of maintaining their household as husband and wife.