Padre sur Unis TV: A priest tormented by his past receives unwanted confessions

Starting October 7, Maxime Denommée will take on the role of an atypical priest with a troubled past in Padre, a Unis TV original series. Shot in a church in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, this co-production by Productions Rivard and Productions J is directed by Jim Donovan and Danielle Sturk. The 13 24-minute episodes will premiere on TV5Unis before airing on television in December.

Can we really forgive everything?

This psychological drama, scripted by Pierre-Marc Drouin from an original idea by Alberto Simone, follows David (Maxime Denommée), a.k.a. the Padre. He was sent to Sainte-Trinité Church in Manitoba after being found in a sorry state, begging on the streets of Montreal. Although he is supposed to live in this abandoned church with Sister Sophie (Martyne Musau), with the sole aim of keeping squatters away, the Padre begins to receive confessions from passers-by in search of a sympathetic ear. By focusing more on the human element than on the offence committed and the punishment that should be meted out, he unwittingly attracts more and more penitents. Young gunmen, businessmen, journalists, professors, ex-police officers and rapists take turns confessing their sins to the Padre, sometimes without premeditation. Others come to confront him. Through these confessions, David’s memories gradually resurface, revealing his troubled past. What event led him to the street? Although Padre is about spirituality, it is first and foremost a human drama about redemption. The series features a cast of some twenty actors, including Maxime Denommée, Martyne Musau, Schelby Jean-Baptiste, Vitali Makarov, Luc Thériault, Micheline Marchildon and Amélie Trottier.

Broadcast

Episodes of Padre will be available online on TV5Unis from October 7. They will then be broadcast from December 17 to 23 at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on the Unis TV channel, included in the basic TV package across Canada. Unis TV bridges the gap between Canada’s French-speaking communities, showcasing the richness and diversity of the Canadian francophonie.

Screenwriter: Pierre-Marc Drouin

Authors: Luc Thériault and Pierre-Marc Drouin

Directed by Jim Donovan and Danielle Sturk

Producers: Micheline Arbez and Marc S. Grenier

Executive producers: Marie-Pier Gaudreault, Louis Paquin and Julie Snyder