Cite Memoire documentary – Perhaps one of the best things to come out of Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations three years ago was a multi-media project called “Cite Memoire”.
Launched in 2016 at a cost of $20 million, Cite Memoire celebrated a selection of great and unknown moments in Montreal’s history — such as Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s colour barrier, or the legend of tavern owner Joe Beef, or when Rocket Richard scored five goals in a single game — using sophisticated technology and interactive art, which were projected at a height of 20 stories onto a number of buildings throughout the Old Montreal district. Over the past five summers, a multitude of visitors and tourists were treated at this unique manner of looking back at Montreal’s history; the narration and soundtrack, which were done in French and English, was made available through a free downloadable app to complete this viewing experience.
But how did this ambitious project come about in concept and reality? Janice Zolf, a former arts and entertainment journalist for CTV in London and Windsor, Ontario who became a documentary producer/director, first saw Cite Memoire when it was officially launched and was immediately dazzled by it.
“I fell in love with the project. I thought to myself ‘Wow. This is the reason why I came to Montreal.’ It was a real epiphany moment for me, because a work like Cite Memoire didn’t exist anywhere else in Canada,” said Ms. Zolf during a recent phone interview.
After a chance meeting with co-creator Michel Lemieux, which led to a two-hour conversation, Ms. Zolf got the inspiration to create a documentary about the story behind Cite Memoire called “Into the Light with Cite Memoire”, which will air on CBC Gem on Novermber 6 at 9 a.m., on CBC Television on November 7 at 7 p.m., and in French on Club Illico on November 26.
A co-production of Janice Zolf Productions, Les Films du Rapids-Blanche and Les Productions du Rapide-Blanche, along with producer Sylvie Van Brabant, whom Ms. Zolf regarded as “one of the most experienced producers of documentaries in Quebec, the documentary goes behind the scenes with co-creators Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Michel Marc Bouchard, to show how Cite Memoire evolved from page to projection.
“My objective with the documentary was to take the audience behind the scenes with this immense project, and lift the curtain up, so that the audience can step behind that curtain see the magic,” said Ms. Zolf.
Teamed with cinematographer J.F. Gratton, who shot footage in the studio where one of the projections was being filmed, the audience gets to be present at the creation of what made Cite Memoire such a draw in Old Montreal. “We were present when they were filming the projection dealing with Leonard Cohen, which was represented by an underwater dancer diving into a dark swimming pool as the muse in Cohen’s song ‘Suzanne’. It was quite fascinating,” she said. Add to that the editing skills of Annie Leclair (“She really understood the project, because she thought of the project from the point of view of the creator,” added Ms. Zolf), and the documentary came together quite smoothly.
As well, Ms. Zolf is amazed not only with the overwhelming success of Cite Memoire, but how it became the catalyst for other major cities like Paris, Chicago and London to eventually undertake their own projects that are going to be similar to the Cite Memoire model.
“Cite Memoire was an amazing way for us to reimagine our history,” she said. “Montreal has such a rich history, so it’s no wonder why other cities such as London want to adopt Cite Memoire. So if they take their cue from Montreal, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t reboot their history in such a unique way.”
To experience Cite Memoire in its entirety, download the free Montreal en Histoires app.
Other articles from mtltimes.ca – totimes.ca – otttimes.ca
