Montréal Girls (2023) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The film is set in Montréal, Quebec. The city serves as both a geographic setting and a cultural landscape, with scenes taking place around universities, nightlife clubs, poetry venues, and locations near the Saint-Lawrence River. Montréal's bilingual French-English culture shapes the emotional environment of the story.

• montreal
• setting
• location
• city
• quebec

Montréal's bilingual environment provides the backdrop for Ramy's emotional journey. The city's mix of French and English influences his interactions, relationships, and artistic development. The vibrant arts scene, particularly the poetry community, offers Ramy a space to explore his creative identity away from his family expectations.

• montreal
• bilingual
• french
• english
• culture
• arts scene

The film explores three core themes: Desire, which drives Ramy's romantic entanglements and personal growth; Identity, which centers on his struggle between familial duty (medicine) and personal passion (poetry) following his mother's death; and Art Path, which examines how creative expression helps Ramy navigate grief and find his purpose.

• themes
• desire
• identity
• art
• grief
• love

Ramy is the film's protagonist, a Middle-Eastern medical student living in Montréal who is grieving the death of his mother Alya. He struggles to focus on his medical studies and is drawn toward poetry as a means of processing his grief and discovering his true identity. His romantic relationships with Yasmina and Désirée further complicate his journey of self-discovery.

• ramy
• protagonist
• medical student
• poet

Alya is Ramy's mother who has died before the film begins. Her death catalyzes Ramy's internal conflict between pursuing medicine (likely his family's expectation) and following his artistic calling as a poet. Her poems, which are passed to Ramy by his uncle Hani, continue to inspire his creative journey and shape his emotional arc throughout the film.

• alya
• mother
• death
• grief
• poems
• inspiration

Hani is Ramy's uncle who welcomes him into his Montréal home after his mother Alya dies. He serves as a stabilizing adult figure and cultural anchor, passing down Alya's poems to Ramy and encouraging his writing. Hani represents family ties and the preservation of cultural memory throughout Ramy's journey.

• hani
• uncle
• family
• poems
• support

Desire functions as a catalyst for Ramy's artistic and personal development. His romantic yearnings pull him toward Yasmina and Désirée, exposing his vulnerability and pushing him toward self-discovery. The pursuit of love amidst grief tests his loyalty and complicates his choices, ultimately shaping his growth as both a person and a poet.

• desire
• love
• romance
• relationships
• growth

The film explores identity through Ramy's struggle to define himself after his mother's death. He vacillates between pursuing medicine (a path expected by his family) and embracing literature (his true passion). The shift from medical studies to literature represents his step toward self-definition, navigating family expectations while honoring his personal dreams.

• identity
• self-discovery
• medicine
• poetry
• family expectations

The Montreal poetry scene provides Ramy with a community and platform for his artistic growth. Through attending poetry events, meeting poet Phénix, and having his work admired by Sophia, Ramy transitions from private writing to sharing his poetry publicly. Tamer also asks him to write lyrics for his band, linking his inner creative life to a public stage.

• poetry
• montreal arts scene
• poet
• creative expression

Ramy has two primary love interests: Yasmina, a club-going woman who captivates him but ultimately ghosts him, embodying a desire-driven energy that challenges his romantic ideals; and Désirée, who becomes unhappy with Ramy's attention toward Yasmina, representing jealousy and tension in his social circle. Both relationships reveal his vulnerability and drive his growth.

• yasmina
• desireée
• love interests
• romance
• relationships

The film presents art as both an escape and a vocation for Ramy. His dream of poetry becomes intertwined with his grief and identity journey. The Montreal arts scene provides the backdrop for his creative reconciliation, as he moves from writing privately to sharing his work publicly through poetry events and band lyrics. Art ultimately serves as his path to self-definition.

• art
• creativity
• poetry
• artistic purpose
• music

Tamer is Hani's son and Ramy's cousin, who is in a band. He offers Ramy advice about staying away from Yasmina but also invites him into the music scene, asking Ramy to write lyrics for his band. Tamer represents the connection between Ramy's poetry and the broader creative community in Montréal.

• tamer
• cousin
• band
• music
• lyrics