Montreal was initially the dream of people who believed in the possibility of creating a better world in New France. Who were those people? Which ideal did they pursue, and why? The answers can be found in a 17th century manuscript, allegedly the hidden memoir of Jeanne Mance. The filmmaker revisits this story in an original, personal way, highlighting how the past echoes the still current yearning to create a world with more humanistic values. —Annabel Loyola