Paul

Local title
Paul
Original title
Paul
Director
Denis Côté
Country
Canada
Year
2025
Festival
20th Tartuff
Programme
Documentaries of Tartu Elektriteater
Genre
Condition-film
Subject
eating disorders, mental health, sexuality, social media

An unlikely Instagram star Paul will scrub your stains for his own sanity and improved quality of life.

Paul is from Montreal, Canada. He has over 12,000 followers on Instagram. He is profoundly lonely, depressed, overweight and underestimated, and generally not very happy-go-lucky. He starts offering house cleaning services exclusively to women and reinvents himself. He becomes a completely different Paul under the name Cleaning Simp Paul (@cleaningsimppaul). He dives into dirt with pride, cleaning all stains with love and precision in an attempt to improve and save his own life. Once he has finished cleaning, Paul agrees to fulfil the other desires of seemingly lonely women. He joyfully embraces any dirty, shameful, awkward or eccentric requests. This makes him happier and increases the number of likes on his Instagram account. He does not shy away from publishing detailed accounts of his daily adventures and posting candid videos on social media.

Renowned Canadian filmmaker Denis Côté observes Paul’s extraordinary life from a distance, without intrusion or judgement. This unusual feel-good documentary has been a festival favourite since its world premiere in Berlin. Would you be keen, curious and bold enough to meet Paul and maybe look him up online?

Director
Denis Côté
Screenwriter
Denis Côté

Cast
Cleaning Simp Paul

Producer
Karine Bélanger, Hany Ouichou, Denis Côté

Cinematographer
Vincent Biron, François Messier-Rheault
Editing
Terence Chotard
Music
Chantale Morin

Production
Coop Vidéo de Montréal

Distribution
Syndicado Film Sales
Runtime
Language
English, French
Subtitles
English

Screenings

Hall Electric Cinema, TARTU
Screening060202 / Paul
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration