Lauzon's somewhat autobiographical story of a young boy who seeks refuge from his boring life in a vivid dreamworld.

A dreamlike, hypnotic film, in which fantasy and reality inextricably merge, examines an unhappy child's desperate efforts to create an alternative, pleasurable world through his imagination and creativity.
A young boy, stuck in an unbelievably neurotic and dysfunctional family, fills notebooks with his fantasies to escape the harsh reality of his life. In the key fantasy, Léolo (his made-up name) imagines he is the offspring of an Italian peasant and a particularly "fertile" tomato brought to Canada in a grocery shipment. These writings provide Leolo with a safe haven where he can forget his painful existence, but this ends when his notebooks are discovered by a local academic who unsuccessfully tries to convince his family and teachers of Leolo's talents. Leolo retreats from writing, and gradually loses himself in a world of his own imaginings. He is hospitalized, but steadfastly impervious to the proddings of the mental health professionals, he sinks further into his imagination, creating for himself a slightly more functional -- and beautiful -- reality than the one his family has provided.

Original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

After making a big splash on the festival circuit, including the ones in Cannes and New York, "Leolo" became something of an art house success. Lauzon's only other film, "Un Zoo la nuit" ("Night Zoo," 1987), had established his reputation as a filmmaker with a distinct and beautiful visual sense, and a specific, unusual way of telling a story and subtextually making a political comment. The critical success of "Leolo" should guarantee the French-Canadian Lauzon an international audience for his next project.

Denys Arcand, director of the Canadian film "Jesus in Montreal," plays a small role in the film.

Ginette Reno, who plays Leolo's mother, is a popular French-Canadian singer.

The "Word Tamer," who reads and extols Leolo's writing, is played by Pierre Bourgault, a Canadian politician who was formerly Lauzon's teacher.

Film was partially funded by the Canadian Ministere de la Culture et de la Communciation and the Societe General des Industries Culturelles.

Excerpt: "I dream, therefore I'm not." -- Leolo (Maxime Collin)

DVD Features:

Keep Case
Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - French
Subtitles - English

Maxime Collin: Canadian Child Actor
Ginette Reno: Canadian Actress
Julien Guiomar: Canadian Actor

Jean-Claude Lauzon: Canadian Director

"...Eccentric humor that gradually gives way to devastating seriousness....Thoroughly unpredictable..."
"...Lauzon's hypnotic visuals combine with ethereal Tom Waits vocals to put over this aggressively earthy French-Canadian childhood remembrance..."
"[L]yrical and grotesque by turns, it is an autobiographical coming-of-age story....Lauzon doesn't skimp on the brutality, but there is plenty of visual invention too."
"...A lyrical film of surprising warmth. Lauzon is a talent to watch..."
"...With bold, precise strokes Lauzon portrays the magic and isolation of anybody's youth..."
"...LEOLO is an enchanting, disgusting, romantic, depressing, hilarious, tragic movie, and it is quite original....The structure of the film is another amazement, gradually revealing itself..."