{{short description|2023 Canadian film by Chloé Robichaud}} {{Infobox film | name = Days of Happiness | native_name = {{infobox name module|fr|Les jours heureux}} | image = Daysofhappiness poster.jpg | caption = Film poster | director = [[Chloé Robichaud]] | producer = {{Plainlist| * [[Pierre Even (producer)|Pierre Even]] * Paul-E. Audet }} | writer = Chloé Robichaud | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Sophie Desmarais]] * [[Sylvain Marcel]] * [[Nour Belkhiria]] * [[Maude Guérin]] }} | music = | cinematography = [[Ariel Méthot|Ariel Méthot-Bellemare]] | editing = [[Yvann Thibaudeau]] | studio = Item 7 | distributor = Maison 4:3 | released = {{film date|2023|9|8|[[2023 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]}} | runtime = 118 minutes<ref name="TIFF"/> | country = Canada | language = French | budget = }}
'''''Days of Happiness''''' ({{langx|fr|Les jours heureux}}) is a 2023 Canadian [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film written and directed by [[Chloé Robichaud]]. The film stars [[Sophie Desmarais]] as Emma, an orchestra conductor who is navigating her toxic relationship with her father and agent Patrick ([[Sylvain Marcel]]) and her budding new romantic relationship with Naëlle ([[Nour Belkhiria]]) as she considers a great new career opportunity with a prestigious orchestra.<ref>[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1978491/les-jours-heureux-film-bande-annonce-sophie-desmarais-chloe-robichaud-yannick-nezet-seguin-chef-orchestre "Sophie Desmarais en cheffe d’orchestre étoile dans Les jours heureux"]. [[Ici Radio-Canada]], May 10, 2023.</ref>
==Cast== * [[Sophie Desmarais]] as Emma<ref name="TIFF"/> * [[Sylvain Marcel]] as Patrick<ref name="TIFF"/> * [[Nour Belkhiria]] as Naëlle<ref name="TIFF"/> * [[Maude Guérin]]<ref name=demers/> * [[Vincent Leclerc]]<ref name=demers>Maxime Demers, [https://www.journaldequebec.com/2023/05/10/une-premiere-bande-annonce-du-film-les-jours-heureux-de-chloe-robichaud-a-ete-devoilee "Une première bande-annonce du film «Les jours heureux» de Chloé Robichaud a été dévoilée"]. ''[[Le Journal de Québec]]'', May 10, 2023.</ref> * [[Yves Jacques]]<ref name=demers/> * Katherine Levac<ref name=demers/>
==Production== Members of the [[Orchestre Métropolitain]] perform in the film as the orchestra Emma leads, and real-life OM conductor [[Yannick Nézet-Séguin]] served as a creative consultant on the film to ensure that it represented the dynamics of orchestral performance and management accurately.<ref>Olivier du Ruisseau, [https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/cinema/730881/cinema-clap-de-fin-pour-les-jours-heureux? "Clap de fin pour «Les jours heureux»"]. ''[[Le Devoir]]'', July 7, 2022.</ref>
==Release== ''Days of Happiness'' had its world premiere at the [[2023 Toronto International Film Festival]] on September 8, 2023.<ref>Anthony D'Alessandro, [https://deadline.com/2023/07/2023-toronto-film-festival-lineup-movies-list-1235446040/ "TIFF Lineup Unveiled Amid Strikes: Awards Contenders ‘Dumb Money’, ‘The Holdovers’, ‘Rustin’; Starry Pics For Sale With Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, Michael Keaton, Viggo Mortensen & More"]. ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'', July 24, 2023.</ref><ref name="TIFF">{{Cite web |title=''Days of Happiness'' |url=https://www.tiff.net/events/days-of-happiness |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=[[Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]}}</ref> It was slated to be commercially released in October 2023.<ref name=demers/>
==Critical response== Pat Mullen of ''That Shelf'' wrote that "Comparisons to ''[[Tár]]'' are inevitable, but any similarity begins and end with the lead characters being lesbian conductors with a grasp for Mahler. (Although one can easily imagine an alternate ending to ''Days of Happiness'' that sees Emma conducting Monster Hunter after hitting rock bottom!) Where Lydia Tár is a virtuoso, but kind of an awful person (deliciously so), Emma desperately needs to escape her toxic relationships. She unravels when she approaches the precipice of losing everything."<ref name=mullen>Pat Mullen, [https://thatshelf.com/tiff-2023-days-of-happiness-review/ "TIFF 2023: Days of Happiness Review"]. ''That Shelf'', September 9, 2023.</ref>
He praised Desmarais's performance, writing that she "daringly commits to her performance and creates a character with a dynamic psyche. Emma’s career demands her to be a conductor in the sense of the word that’s synonymous with a conduit. She must interpret emotional traits of a piece and translate that for the orchestra. Desmarais therefore affords Emma great [[emotional intelligence]] and depth. Music is Emma’s only outlet and Desmarais channels these emotions into her hand movements and posture, creating a character who exudes musicality."<ref name=mullen/>
==Awards== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"| Date of ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- |[[Directors Guild of Canada]] |2023 |[[DGC Award for Best Direction in a Feature Film|Best Direction in a Feature Film]] |[[Chloé Robichaud]] |{{nom}} |<ref>Taimur Sikander Mirza, [https://playbackonline.ca/2023/09/20/women-talking-leads-film-nominees-for-2023-dgc-awards/ "Women Talking leads film nominees for 2023 DGC Awards"]. ''[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]'', September 20, 2023.</ref> |- | rowspan=2| [[Prix Iris]] | rowspan=2| [[26th Quebec Cinema Awards|December 8, 2024]] | [[Prix Iris for Best Actress|Best Actress]] | [[Sophie Desmarais]] | {{nom}} | rowspan=2| <ref>Éric Lavallée, [https://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/prix-iris-humanist-vampire-seeking-consenting-suicidal-person "Prix Iris 2024: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Leads “Quebec Oscars” Noms"]. ''Ioncinema'', October 9, 2024.</ref> |- | [[Prix Iris for Best Sound|Best Sound]] | [[Sylvain Bellemare]], [[Luc Boudrias]], [[François Goupil]], [[Stephen De Oliveira]] | {{nom}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title}}
{{Chloé Robichaud}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:2023 drama films]] [[Category:2023 LGBTQ-related films]] [[Category:2023 films]] [[Category:French-language Canadian films]] [[Category:Canadian drama films]] [[Category:Canadian LGBTQ-related films]] [[Category:2023 Canadian films]] [[Category:2020s LGBTQ-related drama films]] [[Category:Films directed by Chloé Robichaud]] [[Category:Films shot in Quebec]] [[Category:Films set in Quebec]] [[Category:Lesbian-related films]] [[Category:Lesbian culture in Quebec]]