A chance recording can become a lasting connection to someone who is gone. That idea lies at the heart of La meilleure façon, c’est par accident, the debut feature film by Quebec filmmaker Noémie D. Leclerc, which examines grief, family relationships and the importance of preserving everyday moments.
The documentary begins with a personal loss. After the death of her adoptive father, Joe, Leclerc revisited her video archives and discovered that she had barely filmed him. One recording had captured him by accident. That realisation became the starting point for a film about memory and the people whose lives shape our own.
According to the Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec, the film moves between documentary and personal reflection, bringing together family members, friends and young people from Leclerc’s wider circle. Its approach gives ordinary conversations and seemingly insignificant moments a place in the larger story of a life.
Finding Meaning in Everyday Moments
Throughout the film, Leclerc turns her camera towards the people around her, including her mother, Annie, and her grandfather, Marcel. Their conversations offer glimpses into family history, personal hopes and the uncertainty surrounding the future.
The project also includes interactions with friends and members of a younger generation. Questions about dreams, relationships and the future encourage participants to share their thoughts in their own words.
Film critics have highlighted the documentary’s intimate approach and its willingness to embrace spontaneous moments. In a review published by Cinoche in September 2026, critic Marie-Hélène Raymond described the film as an authentic portrait shaped by tenderness towards the people in front of the camera.
The result blurs the boundaries between personal archive, family portrait and documentary filmmaking. Leclerc becomes part of the story, allowing viewers to see both the people she films and the process through which their memories are preserved.
A Debut Shaped by Personal Experience
Leclerc is a Quebec multidisciplinary artist whose work includes writing and photography. Her debut feature brings those interests together in a project built around observation, personal relationships and the passage of time.
Musician Hubert Lenoir, her longtime partner and collaborator, contributed to the film’s music and camera work.
The documentary received two awards at the Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec, according to TVA Nouvelles’ September 18 review.
Why the Story Matters
At its centre, La meilleure façon, c’est par accident considers how people remember those they love. Photographs and recordings often preserve moments whose value becomes clearer with time.
By exploring the gap between what people remember and what they manage to record, Leclerc’s film offers a personal meditation on loss and the enduring importance of ordinary life.
The documentary runs for 111 minutes and was produced in Quebec in 2026. Its central idea is simple: sometimes an unexpected moment becomes the memory people hold closest.