This film about the legendary French Canadian strong man will be shown free of charge on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. and again on Thursday, March 17 at 2 p.m.

As part of its week-long celebration of Francophonie Week, the Gendron Franco Center will screen the Quebecois drama film “Louis Cyr: The Strongest Man in the World” on Tuesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. and again on Thursday, March 17 at 2 p.m. In French with English subtitles, the film will be presented in the center’s Performance Hall. Both screenings will be free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to support the week’s events.

Quebec’s top grossing film of 2013, this biopic about Louis Cyr, a French-Canadian laborer working in a textile factory in the late 19th century, garnered several technical nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards, including nods for Best Art Direction or Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Set in the New England mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, the film depicts the life of a French-Canadian immigrant who is convinced by an Irish promoter to leave his family to travel across the country to display his immense physical strength at country fairs. His girlfriend, Mélina Comtois, comes along on the trip that lasts for six months and ends when the promoter takes off with the money.

Rolling up his sleeves, Cyr marries Mélina and continues to travel as a strong man. In Montreal, he meets Horace Barré, a fellow strong man who becomes his most stalwart ally, and Gustave Lambert, an agent who helps him revive his career and become a sensation on the Montreal scene. Encouraged by his newfound success, Louis sets his sights on winning the title of the strongest man in the world.

Located at 46 Cedar Street in Lewiston, the Gendron Franco Center is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 783-1585, visit the box office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or see francocenter.org.