Philippe Falardeau studied political sciences and came to filmmaking in 1992 when he took part in the popular Radio-Canada television program, La Course destination monde, in which candidates have the opportunity to shoot short documentary films. He came out winner and subsequently directed Pâté chinois, a documentary on Chinese immigration to Canada for the National Film Board of Canada. In 2000, he made his first theatrical feature, La Moitié gauche du frigo, which won the Claude Jutra Award and was voted best Canadian first feature at the Toronto International Film Festival. Congorama is his second feature.