Into the light with Cité Mémoire

Into the light with Cité Mémoire, a film by Janice Zolf available on CBC and Club Illico in November

You’ve probably seen the ‘movies’ being projected on the buildings in Old Monreal. Here’s a chance to have a look behind the scenes, to see how they’re made. Janice Zolf Productions, Les Films du Rapide-Blanc et Les Productions du Rapide-Blanc will release Into the light with Cité Mémoire on November 7th on CBC Television, November 8th on GEM and November 26th in French on Club Illico.

Directed and written by Janice Zolf, Into the light with Cité Mémoire takes viewers behind the scenes with Michel Lemieux, Victor Pilon and Michel Marc Bouchard to witness the creative process of the largest permanent projection installation in the World.

An underwater dancer dives into a dark swimming pool and transforms into Leonard Cohen’s muse. An illuminated Suzanne soars 150 feet above the St. Lawrence River in a stunning projection on the landmark clock tower. A real horse pulls a hearse and over a hundred mourners walk across a green screen in the funeral of Joe Beef, a beloved tavern owner who fed the poor in Montreal in the 1800’s. Circus performers Les 7 Doigts de la Mains balance pianos and mattresses on the set, injecting humour into the story of great Canadian hockey player Rocket Richard as he scores 5 goals on moving day.

The documentary film explores universal stories of race, poverty and history which have even more resonance in our current pandemic. We discover how the $20 million project, because of it’s unique ability to emotionally connect with a diverse audience, has become a template for cities around the world to reboot their history through sophisticated technology and interactive art. The film, through aerial drone shots, immerses us as we fly over the city and up close to the projections 20 stories high, inviting us on a virtual road trip to a magical place.

“I always think about the audience first. How can I take them somewhere they can’t go on their own; lift the curtain, share the magic and inspire them with new insights into the creative process?  I spent my career going behind- the- scenes with artists from filmmakers to musicians, actors, dancers and fashion designers. Their stories are endless, providing an immersive pool of possibilities.”  -Janice Zolf.

Before winning prizes and international acclaim with her documentaries on art, music, and design; film director and writer Janice Zolf worked as an arts and entertainment journalist for CTV News in Canada. Janice’s additional films include Michael Bublé: Audacious, a short film, profiling the artist behind the superstar and Revealing Marie Saint Pierre, about the influence of artist Jean-Paul Riopelle on a renowned Canadian fashion designer. Janice is an experienced storyteller, motivated to take audiences inside the art to give them insight into the creative process.

About Cité Mémoire

Loosely inspired by the history of Montreal, Cité Mémoire invites you to meet a host of characters who have witnessed the city’s evolution first-hand. Poetic, dreamlike and occasionally playful, the tableaux come alive with images, words and music. Projected throughout Old Montreal, the Old Port and downtown Montréal, the work appears on the very walls that surround us, the ground on which we walk and the trees that frame our present. For a complete Cité Mémoire experience, download Montréal en Histoires free application and its contents. Here’s the link to a trailer so you can have a preview of the film.