1025 Queen Street West, 2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario
Wheelchair Accessible Venue, Open Captions
Paul Tom and Mélissa Lefebvre / 2026 / French with English subtitles / Canada / 72 min / Toronto Premiere
GENRE: DOCUMENTARY
TOPIC: COMMUNITY, FAMILY, NEURODIVERGENCE, YOUTH
TYPE: FILM
In Bulles (Bubbles), a group of neurodivergent teenagers work together to put on a live show that brings their unique imaginary worlds to life. Directors Mélissa Lefebvre and Paul Tom spend time with teenagers living on the autism spectrum to understand their discomfort with how their lives have been labelled and stigmatized. They use their art as a bridge between their inner lives and the outside world, sharing the most authentic version of themselves while challenging the clichés that come with their diagnosis.
Joyful, compassionate, and at times surreal, Bulles speaks to the challenges faced by anyone living with some type of stigma. Lefebvre and Tom’s empowering documentary celebrates how finding a community can give unheard voices the power to amplify their message and reshape public perception. This insightful and compassionate film is a love letter to self-acceptance, challenging us all to live each day as the truest version of ourselves — without shame, hesitation, or apology.
— Victor Stiff, Rendezvous with Madness 2026 Film Programmer

For 17 years, Mélissa Lefebvre has been teaching drama in high school and developing artistic, educational, and film projects, always placing students at the heart of her creations. Visionary and deeply committed, she designs works with strong social impact, where art becomes a lever for transformation, self-expression, and identity affirmation.

Drawing on the intimate and the personal to tell touching, authentic stories is what Paul Tom has done with sensitivity for 15 years. He is drawn to themes of identity formation, family relationships, and everything that touches on the intimate, fragile, and precious side of being human.
