Robin Aubert is continuing has dark explorations, and has started shooting the follow-up to his 2005 thriller Saint-Martyrs-des-Damnés.

A L’origine d’un cri is a grim road movie about a man who has lost his wife and decides to disinter her body to be with her again. As he hits the road with his prize, his son and his father set out in search for him. If they don’t find him it’s almost certain the police will or else he will kill himself to join his wife.

As with Saint-Martyrs, Roger Frappier and Luc Vandal of Montreal’s Max Films are producing. Jean Lapointe plays the grandfather, Michel Barrette plays the man, and Patrick Hivon is the son. Supporting actors include Micheline Bernard, Johanne-Marie Tremblay, Charlotte Laurier, Adèle Reinhardt, Nicole Leblanc, Denise Dubois, Markita Boies, Michel Charette, Bénédicte Décary, Louise Latraverse, Véronique Beaudet and Anik Vermette.

Speaking to Playback Daily, Frappier compared Aubert with the late great Jean-Claude Lauzon, of Night Zoo and Leolo fame. ‘He walks his own path with his own style and personality.’

The film’s principal financiers are SODEC, Telefilm Canada and Astral Télé-Réseaux. TVA is releasing the film in Canada. Max Films International is selling the film internationally. Filming is taking place in Montreal and the north shore.

Saint-Martyrs, which earned the Montreal writer-director comparisons with David Lynch and Todd Browning, enjoyed strong festival play and international sales. It won the 2,500 Euros Audience Prize at the Cinénygma – Festival international de films de Luxembourg and competed in fantasy and science fiction themed festivals in Sweden and Italy. It has since developed something of a cult following on DVD.