The Benevolents

{{Short description|2021 Canadian short documentary film}}

{{Infobox film

| name = The Benevolents

| native_name = {{infobox name module|fr|Les Bienveillants}}

| image =

| caption = Film poster

| director = Sarah Baril Gaudet

| producer = Sarah Baril Gaudet

| writer = Sarah Baril Gaudet

| starring =

| music = Viviane Audet
Robin-Joël Cool
Alexis Martin

| cinematography = Sarah Baril Gaudet

| editing = Justine Gauthier

| studio =

| distributor = Travelling Distribution

| released = {{film date|2021|||FICFA}}

| runtime = 16 minutes

| country = Canada

| language = French

| budget =

}}

The Benevolents ({{langx|fr|Les Bienveillants}}) is a Canadian short documentary film, directed by Sarah Baril Gaudet and released in 2021.[https://ctvm.info/les-bienveillants-de-sarah-baril-gaudet-en-competition-a-hot-docs/ "« LES BIENVEILLANTS » de Sarah Baril Gaudet en compétition à Hot Docs"]. CTVM, April 8, 2022. An exploration of contemporary loneliness and the importance of human social connection, the film is a portrait of various people who are training to become volunteers for Tel-Aide, a crisis hotline in Montreal, Quebec.

The film premiered at the 2021 Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie. It was subsequently distributed principally through Op-Docs, The New York Times's streaming platform for documentaries.[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/24/learning/film-club-the-benevolents.html "Film Club: ‘The Benevolents’"]. The New York Times, January 24, 2023.