Movies by Michka Saäl

Zero Tolerance
Being young is tough, especially if you're Black, Latino, Arab or Asian. In a city like Montreal, you can get targeted and treated as a criminal for no good reason. Zero Tolerance reveals how deep seated prejudice can be. On one side are the city's young people, and on the other, its police force. Two worlds, two visions. Yet one of these groups is a minority, while the other wields real power. One has no voice, while the other makes life-and-death decisions.

La Position de l'escargot
Tunisian-born Myriam, a Sephardic beauty, lives in Montreal. Théo, her grad-student boyfriend, breaks up with her, and she's desolate. She house-sits for a friend for several weeks: during that time, her father arrives looking for her after 20 years, Théo realizes he misses her, and she meets the quirky Lou, a poetry-spouting squatter who introduces himself by clipping a lock of her hair during a movie; he later breaks into her flat to chat with her. She's angry with her father, confused by Théo, and delighted with Lou, whose free spirit and...
Mavericks
In this posthumous film, shot in Montreal in 2013 and completed by Michka Saäl’s colleagues and friends, the filmmaker salutes the beauty of Montreal and its people. From the back alleys of the Plateau to artists’ apartments, from a passionate recycling advocate to a queen of the night, everyday heroes are the subject of this final film. They are humble folk, faithful to their personal ethical sense, determined to make the world more beautiful. They are true adventurers, especially as seen by Michka Saäl.