“It’s interesting
to see, during some times
in your life, what you can give
to a director”
“When I left that audition, I felt very emotional,” Vanasse
says, as she recalls one of her first lightbulb moments within
her acting career. She also credits that first film experience
to what kind of actress she is and wants to continue to be.
Any first audition for any actor would be mountainous,
but imagine a 13-year old girl reading lines for a heavily
dramatic film; a situation like that can only create vivid
memories. “It all fell into place; I think I finally discovered
my love for acting when I got the part.”
Vanasse’s approach to characterization during filming takes
on a very personal level. She explains that characters she
plays almost seem like friends she knows intimately, “you
understand the different layers that she has.” A desire for
a deeper understanding of her characters helps Vanasse
connect emotionally to their turmoil; the mark of a great
actress. Different that relating, it’s an almost empathetic
way to view the acting process.
One of Vanasse’s biggest film accomplishments to date,
both personally and critically, is the 2009 Québecois film
Polytechnique, directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Documenting the events of the Ecole Polytechnique
massacre, Vanasse plays Valerie, a student who witnesses
the incident. Set in 1989, the engineering school Ecole
Polytechnique’s Montreal massacre was known to be one of
the most brutal school shootings in Canadian history, with
the target being feminists and multiple female students.
Despite its source materials bleakness, the film has scored
multiple awards and rave reviews for being beautifully shot
and powerfully executed. Instead of sensationalizing what
was a horrific time in modern Québec history, Vanasse says
Polytechnique is a respectful, poetic interpretation of the
event. Vanasse herself says it still stands as one of her finest
moments as an actress – anybody that sees the film will
agree. Throughout the filming process, the team met with
survivors of the incident, and Vanasse insists that they feel
the film is an appropriate tribute.
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