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MacPherson

2012 10 min
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This animated film by Martine Chartrand (Black Soul) recounts the friendship between a young Félix Leclerc and Frank Randolph Macpherson, a Jamaican chemical engineer and university graduate who worked for a pulp and paper company. An inveterate jazz fan, Macpherson inspired Leclerc, who wrote a song about the log drives and entitled it “MacPherson” in honour of his friend. Paint-on-glass animation shot with a 35mm camera.

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MacPherson

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This animated film by Martine Chartrand (Black Soul) recounts the friendship between a young Félix Leclerc and Frank Randolph Macpherson, a Jamaican chemical engineer and university graduate who worked for a pulp and paper company. An inveterate jazz fan, Macpherson inspired Leclerc, who wrote a song about the log drives and entitled it “MacPherson” in honour of his friend. Paint-on-glass animation shot with a 35mm camera.

Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism Music History - Canada - 1920-1945 All subjects
Black Communities in Canada All channels
  • direction
    Martine Chartrand
  • research
    Martine Chartrand
  • script
    Martine Chartrand
  • animation
    Martine Chartrand
  • camera 35mm
    Martine Chartrand
  • editing
    Natacha Dufaux
  • sound design
    Olivier Calvert
  • original music
    Jean-François Dumas
    Luzio Altobelli
    Dominic Desrochers
  • pianist
    Erik Shoup
  • recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
    Mathieu Leroux
  • foley
    Jérôme Décarie
    Daniel Bisson
    Bertrand Duranleau
  • re-recording
    Serge Boivin
  • support technician for 35mm camera
    Pierre Landry
  • online editing
    Denis Gathelier
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • digital imaging specialist
    Pierre Plouffe
    Susan Gourley
  • marketing manager
    François Jacques
  • administrator
    Diane Régimbald
  • administrative team
    Diane Ayotte
    Karine Desmeules
    Michèle Labelle
  • technical coordinator
    Julie Laperrière
  • line production
    Francine Langdeau
  • executive producer
    Michèle Bélanger
    René Chénier
  • producer
    Marcel Jean
    Marc Bertrand

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Education

Ages 14 to 18
School subjects
English Language Arts - Quebec Literature History - The Depression Era Media Education - Film and Video Production Social Studies - Communities in Canada/World
MacPherson is a study in two cultures coming together to create something entirely new. Ask students to consider the symbolic use of black and white (i.e., boxing match, chess set) in the film, as well as that of the recurring image of flowers. What is the significance of the final letter from Félix? What do we learn about his relationship with Frank, his feelings about music and the emotional challenges that come with friendship?
MacPherson
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Licencing information

Home licence (worldwide); Classroom licence (Canada only)

You may download this film for private, personal or classroom use only. Public screenings and institutional (non-educational institutions) uses are not permitted. Download films in standard or high definition. (Please note that bonus materials are not available for DTO films.) You can copy each file up to 5 (five) times, onto various devices. DTO films cannot be hosted on a streaming server. To add DTO films to an institutional or educational streaming server, please contact a sales agent to discuss pricing.

Institutional licence

The institutional price includes the rights to screen this film in institutional settings and in free public screenings.

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