A family drama exploring how estranged brothers navigate caregiving, grief, and reconciliation amid a parent's Alzheimer's decline.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Shattered Bonds
The film opens by establishing the estrangement between Gabriel and Éric Bernard. Their fractured relationship is immediately tested when they are forced to confront their father Henri's worsening Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Key Events
Brothers Estrangement Revealed — The film establishes the fractured relationship between Gabriel and Éric. Characters: Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Family Home
Forced Co-Parenting Begins — The brothers must share caregiving responsibilities despite past conflicts. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, HenriLocation: Family Residence
Charlotte's Initial Support — Charlotte offers emotional grounding and practical advice to Gabriel. Characters: Gabriel, CharlotteLocation: Gabriel's Apartment
Maia Joins the Care Circle — Maia steps in to help Éric manage his father's daily needs. Characters: Éric, MaiaLocation: Éric's Workplace
The Caregiving Burden
As Henri's condition deteriorates, the brothers struggle to divide responsibilities. Tensions escalate over differing caregiving approaches, while their partners Charlotte and Maia step in to provide external support.
Key Events
Maia Joins the Care Circle — Maia steps in to help Éric manage his father's daily needs. Characters: Éric, MaiaLocation: Éric's Workplace
Caregiving Disagreements Erupt — Tensions flare over differing approaches to Henri's treatment. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, HenriLocation: Family Kitchen
Henri's Memory Loss Worsens — Henri experiences a significant episode of confusion and forgetfulness. Characters: Henri, Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Living Room
Cousin Sylvie Arrives — Sylvie visits to assess the situation and offer family support. Characters: Cousin Sylvie, Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Family Home
Family Meeting Tension — A family discussion highlights unresolved grievances and current stress. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, Cousin Sylvie, HenriLocation: Dining Room
Gabriel's Burnout Peaks — Gabriel reaches an emotional breaking point from caregiving exhaustion. Characters: Gabriel, CharlotteLocation: Gabriel's Office
Crisis and Confrontation
A severe medical emergency forces the family into the hospital. Gabriel's burnout and Éric's guilt culminate in a raw confrontation that finally addresses their past grievances and shared trauma.
Key Events
Gabriel's Burnout Peaks — Gabriel reaches an emotional breaking point from caregiving exhaustion. Characters: Gabriel, CharlotteLocation: Gabriel's Office
Éric's Guilt Surfaces — Éric confesses his regrets about past neglect to Maia. Characters: Éric, MaiaLocation: Park Bench
Partners Unite Strategically — Charlotte and Maia coordinate a unified support plan for the brothers. Characters: Charlotte, MaiaLocation: Café
Henri's Medical Crisis — Henri suffers a severe episode requiring immediate hospitalization. Characters: Henri, Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Emergency Room
Brothers Confront Past — Amidst the crisis, Gabriel and Éric finally address their estrangement. Characters: Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Hospital Corridor
Hospital Confrontation — The family gathers as Henri's condition stabilizes but remains critical. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, Henri, Cousin SylvieLocation: Hospital Room
Acceptance and Reconciliation
The brothers reconcile and establish a unified family support network. They navigate Henri's final days with renewed solidarity, ultimately finding peace and a path forward after his passing.
Key Events
Hospital Confrontation — The family gathers as Henri's condition stabilizes but remains critical. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, Henri, Cousin SylvieLocation: Hospital Room
Brothers Reconcile — Gabriel and Éric acknowledge their shared burden and forgive each other. Characters: Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Hospital Garden
Accepting New Reality — The family adjusts to long-term care routines and changed dynamics. Characters: Henri, Gabriel, Éric, Charlotte, Maia, Cousin SylvieLocation: Family Home
Family Support Network Forms — A sustainable caregiving schedule is established among all relatives. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, Charlotte, Maia, Cousin SylvieLocation: Living Room
Henri's Final Moments — Henri passes away peacefully surrounded by his sons. Characters: Henri, Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Bedroom
Brothers' New Bond — Gabriel and Éric share a quiet moment, marking their healed relationship. Characters: Gabriel, ÉricLocation: Family Garden
Epilogue: Moving Forward — The brothers and their partners drive away, ready to face the future. Characters: Gabriel, Éric, Charlotte, MaiaLocation: Driveway
Story Breakdown
Familial Estrangement — Establishes the fractured dynamic between Gabriel and Éric before the crisis.
Past Grievances — Unresolved conflicts between the brothers
Physical Separation — Brothers living apart and avoiding contact
Alzheimer's Progression — Henri's cognitive decline drives the plot's urgency.
Initial Diagnosis — Medical confirmation of worsening condition
Memory Loss Episodes — Daily struggles with confusion and forgetfulness
Medical Crises — Severe health events requiring hospitalization
Caregiving Dynamics — The logistical and emotional burden of caring for Henri.
Responsibility Disputes — Conflicts over who does what
Burnout and Guilt — Emotional toll on both brothers
Routine Adjustments — Adapting home life to medical needs
Romantic Partnerships — Charlotte and Maia provide external support and perspective.
Emotional Grounding — Partners offer stability during stress
Strategic Coordination — Charlotte and Maia unite to help
Extended Family Role — Cousin Sylvie represents broader family involvement.
Family Assessment — Sylvie evaluates the caregiving situation
Support Network Expansion — Involving relatives in long-term care
Emotional Reconciliation — The brothers heal their relationship through shared crisis.
Confronting the Past — Raw dialogue addressing old wounds
Forgiveness and Unity — Brothers accept their shared burden
Accepting Loss — Navigating Henri's passing with solidarity
Mathieu Roy's L’Autre maison is an intimate and powerful family drama featuring three generations of great Quebec Actors. Marcel Sabourin plays Henri Bernard, an 86 year-old man with a failing grip on reality. His sons, a jet setting middle aged photo-journalist (Roy Dupuis) and a younger pilot-in-training (Emile Proulx-Cloutier) disagree on a course of action, leaving the father and the younger son inhabiting a rustic cottage in the woods. As the older man's health deteriorates, options become more limited; when an IED accident in Afghanistan kills the photo-journalist's translator, the family must come together like never before. Shot in Quebec, Iceland, Africa and Asia, Another House blends elements of memory, perception and lyricism into a remarkable cinematic mix that moves the story well beyond direct domestic issues into a visual realm that balances nature and humanity.
