The Sweater (1980)

In the frosty heart of Quebec, young Roch Carrier recounts his childhood tale of hockey devotion and cultural divide. His hero - the legendary Maurice Richard, known as "the Rocket" - is not just his idol, but a shared beacon of admiration for all the local children. The Montréal Canadiens, the Rocket's team, weaves a thread of fervor through the community, turning pick-up hockey games into earnest stages of emulation where pretend Rockets clash against each other in a show of loyalty. However, when Roch's beloved Canadiens sweater frays to its end, his mother, armed with her modest grasp of English, orders a replacement from the Eaton's catalog. In a twist of fate that Roch perceives as an unfathomable catastrophe, he receives the sweater of the Toronto Maple Leafs - the predominant English-speaking Canadian hockey team – instead of his idol's. This animated tale serves as a poignant and humorous commentary on the "two solitudes" of Canadian society. It illustrates the stark linguistic and cultural divide between the English and French-speaking populations, embodied in the clash of hockey allegiances. Through Roch's misadventure, we see how these two groups coexist in the same country yet barely manage to communicate or tolerate each other. In the midst of this societal backdrop, Roch grapples with his unwelcome sweater, praying for divine intervention to rectify this wrong and restore his cherished symbol of identity. "The Sweater" poignantly captures the intersection of childhood passion, cultural identity, and the universal struggle for acceptance.

The Sweater is an animation movie featuring Roch Carrier and directed by Sheldon Cohen.

The Sweater is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Filmzie.

It is also possible to buy The Sweater on Amazon Video.