‘Les Invasions barbares’ by Denys Arcand

A former university lecturer and playboy, Rémy finds himself in the grip of an aggressive form of cancer that is causing ever increasing levels of pain. In an overrun Montreal hospital, Rémy’s pain is mismanaged and there is limited support available. In desperation, Rémy’s wife asks their son, a high-flying banker now living in London, to return to Montreal to help. It is clear that Rémy and his son have a relatively tense relationship; however, knowing that his father’s life expectancy is limited, he does his best to help him. He contacts Rémy’s old friends and asks them to come and visit him, he follows a doctor’s recommendation to procure heroin to relieve his father's pain, and he arranges everything necessary for Rémy to end his life, when the time comes. Over the course of the film, relationships are restored and a distinctly positive message emerges around the importance of human connection. The film also emphasises the value of a ‘good death’ – that is, in this case, one that is free from pain and where the dying person is surrounded by their loved ones – even if it is somewhat idealised.

The film asks questions of what appears, at the time of its release, to be a failing Quebecois healthcare system, which neglects to provide adequate palliative care. It likewise asks us to consider what constitutes a life well lived and the impact we have on those around us. Undoubtedly, the film is an engaged piece, which reflects developments in the Canadian pro-assisted dying lobby during the 1990s and 2000s. Although Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) did not become legal in Canada until 2016, the film also points towards a shift in public opinion in favour of its introduction, following landmark cases such as Rodriguez v. British Columbia (1993). This is evident in the figure of the nurse who helps Rémy on a number of occasions, including on the day of his death, when she sets up the drip through which he receives the overdose of heroin (albeit unofficially, making it clear to the family that her name should not be mentioned). Although this assisted death could be read as a critique of the practice, given that one of the motivations behind Rémy's decision to end his life is the absence of adequate pain relief, the film glosses over this, preferring to underscore the apparent beauty of Rémy's death – something echoed in director Denys Arcand's later commentary on it. This idealised image of an assisted death, and the various problems it poses, were regularly referred to by politicians, clinicians and assisted dying activists during the parliamentary debates and committee sessions on the topic in the Assemblée nationale du Québec. In some instances, the film was also used as an explanatory tool, helping to shed light on a number of the related ethical and terminological issues discussed in the Assemblée.