Few films have their food catered by a monastery. Yet that is exactly what happened on the set of Solitude, which looks at the fleeting connections that arise between two women who are on a monastic retreat and one of the resident monks.

Shot over a month last summer at St. Peter’s Abbey in rural Saskatchewan and adapted from a Connie Gault short story, the film required the crew and actors to live at the monastery for four weeks.

Former documentarian Robin Schlaht brought the experiences he had making non-fiction (credits include Moscow Summer and Sons and Daughters) to his first feature fiction directing gig. ‘I have to remain quite process-oriented,’ he says. ‘I’m very aware of how the production model would impact on the film, that’s why I wanted to shoot [at the monastery] and have everyone there. We adjusted our schedule to their prayer times. With our meals catered by the abbey, there was not much flexibility in the schedule, so we really adjusted to the pace. It’s a very serene film and I didn’t want to pull a serene film out of a hectic shoot.’

Lead actor and Quebecois star Lothaire Bluteau (who plays the lead monk) accidentally set the alternative theme of the film. Schlaht calls it ‘the story of a hug.’

‘Even in the third week of production, Lothaire was pulling the monk aside and asking questions about why he had chosen this life. He was a very shy, retiring monk and at one point, after a scene, Lothaire hugged him. The monk said that’s the first time he’d been hugged. So Lothaire said he would incorporate that into his character. The film really becomes the chronicle of the series of events that lead to this monk being hugged for the first time.’

Getting permission from the abbey to shoot there demanded a great deal of trust between the filmmaker and the religious community. Schlaht first went to St. Peter’s on a retreat, only revealing that he was researching a possible film at the end of his visit. He left some of his documentaries behind.

‘In the original script there was a scene with nudity and a scene with swearing, which ended up not fitting in. But the monks agreed to having the abbey used as the location. They saw I was a sincere filmmaker not about to exploit them or the themes. They have a guest wing which we booked pretty much solid for a month.’

While shooting 90% of the film in one location kept costs down, Solitude’s final budget was still only $684,000. Schlaht was certain he had to shoot on film to capture the sensitivity of the light and the quiet atmosphere. Bluteau agreed to star for a fraction of his usual fee and Vanessa Martinez (nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for John Sayles’ Limbo) also signed on. The movie also stars Wendy Anderson.

Schlaht shares writing credit with Gault and coproduced the film with previous collaborator David Christensen through their Zima Junction Productions company.

Initial money came through SaskFilm’s feature film award to the tune of $100,000 in 1998, with later money coming in from the CTV Saskatchewan Program Development Fund, SaskFilm, the Saskatchewan Communications Network, The Movie Network and the Canada Council, with technical assistance from the Saskatchewan Filmpool Co-operative. ‘It was a weird mix of industry and arts support, but everyone involved gave us complete creative control,’ Schlaht says.

Telefilm Canada got on board in 2000 after first sending the film back into development. Distributor Edge Entertainment also provided what the filmmaker calls ‘a hefty advance.’

Schlaht says sound post-production was particularly difficult. ‘There is no music soundtrack. There is the sound of monks singing, or church bells, but the location sound was very important.’ ProTrax in Regina ended up taping the sounds of St. Peter’s. ‘Recording the sound of wind in the trees is very difficult and it’s rarely done, but they did,’ Schlaht says.

Solitude has screened to strong critical reviews from festival audiences at South by Southwest and the Montreal World Film Festival and will be making its English-Canadian premiere at VIFF before it opens theatrically later on this fall.

‘Solitude touched on themes that were of interest to me; the notion of human interaction, the notion that our actions have consequences for others,’ says Schlaht. ‘It’s about spirituality, but not in terms of faith, but in the question of how one leads a good life.’