Essential, a hard-hitting documentary investigation of immigration in Quebec, presented on Télé-Québec on January 25

Picbois Productions and Télé-Québec present Essential, directed by Ky Vy Le Duc (Decolonizing History), a rigorous, hard-hitting documentary investigation led by Sonia Djelidi (Breaking the Code) and journalist Sarah Champagne on one of today’s hottest topics: immigration to Quebec. Essentiels will be broadcast on Télé-Québec on Wednesday, January 25 at 8 p.m., and will be accompanied by a podcast available on podcast.telequebec.tv.

While permanent immigration targets are being debated, temporary foreign workers and asylum seekers in precarious jobs are struggling to gain the right to settle in Quebec for good. In recounting their reality, Essential reveals their vulnerability while exposing our dependence on their services. These people feed us and take care of us at low cost and under difficult conditions. This hard-hitting film makes us realize that many parts of our society are run by immigrant workers who are willing to live in precarious conditions in the hope that their sacrifices will provide a better life for their loved ones. Are we aware that our comfort depends on the labor of these human beings who serve us?