Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté has avoided big-budget Hollywood productions throughout his career, partly due to health issues stemming from a progressive kidney disease. However, after receiving a kidney transplant in August 2023 from a donor friend, his health is improving, allowing him to focus on his craft with renewed energy. Côté expressed immense gratitude for the successful transplant and his donor’s health, calling the experience miraculous.
Côté’s latest work, a short film titled Days Before the Death of Nicky, is set to premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Known for shooting experimental films with minimalistic setups, Côté continues this trend by filming the entirety of Days Before the Death of Nicky in a car over two days. This short film presents long scenes of Nicky, a young woman, driving through Quebec’s highways, creating an intimate and tense viewing experience that evokes anticipation based on the film’s title alone.
For Côté, minimalism is a conscious choice that allows him to focus on the creative process rather than industry expectations. He explained that the small crew—just him, the lead actress Erin Margurite Carter, and DOP Vincent Biron—worked in a low-budget environment to shoot the film. The lack of elaborate setups, minimal makeup, and a simple yet deliberate approach to storytelling characterize his filmmaking style.
Côté prefers working on smaller, experimental projects that allow him to refine his artistic vision. He compares his process to that of a painter constantly experimenting with brushstrokes. This approach shields him from the pressures associated with high-budget films and gives him creative freedom. Even in larger-budget films, he remains grounded in his approach, prioritizing simplicity and craftsmanship over grandiosity.
Days Before the Death of Nicky was shot with no added sound effects or soundtracks, relying on natural light and recreating audio in post-production. Côté’s decision to forego consistency in weather conditions—sometimes showing snow and other times dry roads—highlights his focus on narrative freedom over production perfection. This method aligns with his broader thematic exploration of mysterious and often unsettling events in remote settings.
Côté has a history of setting his films in the Quebec countryside, an environment he finds more mysterious and creatively stimulating than the urban settings he typically resides in. Films like Vic + Flo Saw a Bear and Curling explore dark, enigmatic stories set in rural landscapes. This fascination with the unknown and the eerie nature of the countryside continues in Days Before the Death of Nicky, where weather inconsistencies and the sparse, foreboding atmosphere contribute to the film’s tension.
Having endured health challenges for many years, Côté is relieved to be in better condition following his kidney transplant. Reflecting on his earlier work, such as Mademoiselle Kenopsia, which he directed with only 15 percent kidney function, he now finds himself reinvigorated and excited for future projects. He views his recovery as a miracle, and despite the small scale of Days Before the Death of Nicky, the film holds personal significance as it marks his return to filmmaking with a healthy body and mind.
Although Côté’s health has improved, he remains uninterested in pursuing large commercial projects or working in Hollywood. He is content with his reputation as an auteur filmmaker who produces festival films. Locarno, where he has premiered several features, holds a special place in his heart as a festival that supports and nurtures auteurs like him. This sentiment keeps him loyal to his craft and the smaller, intimate film projects that define his career.
