Gamma Rays (film)

Gamma Rays (Les rayons gamma) is a Canadian comedy-drama film, written and directed by Henry Bernadet and released in 2023. Made with a cast of non-professional actors, the film centres on three interconnected stories about young immigrants in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension district of Montreal, Quebec.

The stories centre on Abdel (Yassine Jabrane), whose cousin Omar (Hani Laroum) comes to visit but sparks a crisis when he gets lost after Abdel sends him out on his own without accompaniment despite Omar's lack of familiarity with the city; Fatima (Chaimaa Zinedine), who is working as a supermarket cashier and trying to deal with an unpaid debt to a drug dealer; and Toussaint (Chris Kanyembuga), an intelligent but introverted young man who is drawn out of his shell when he finds a message in a bottle while fishing.

Production and distribution
The film was Bernadet's solo directorial debut, following television credits and the 2008 documentary film West of Pluto (À l'ouest de Pluton) which he codirected with Myriam Verreault.

It premiered at the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2023, before going into limited commercial release in Quebec in November.

Awards
The film was named as a shortlisted finalist for the 2024 Prix collégial du cinéma québécois.