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Québécois Music (18)
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Au Chic Resto PopTahani Rached 1991 1 h 24 minThis feature-length film about poverty in Montreal is set against a soundtrack that includes rap, blues, rock, and country and western music. The film deals with the universal themes of hunger, hope and love and is named after an actual Montreal restaurant that's been serving those in need for over 25 years. In French with English subtitles. -
C'est l'avironNorman McLaren 1944 3 minOne of a series of French-Canadian folk songs, this film was illustrated by Norman McLaren for the Chants populaires series. White gouache drawings on black cards were photographed with overlapping 'zooms' to suggest the forward movement of a canoe along rivers and lakes. This film appears in Chants populaires no. 5 and in Chants populaires no. 6.
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Dehors novembrePatrick Bouchard 2005 6 minThis animated short evokes the tragic death of Dédé Fortin, frontman, and vocalist of the Québécois band Les Colocs. To the soundtrack of “Dehors novembre,” one of the band’s songs, animator Patrick Bouchard weaves of dark tale of death and ruin, as they unfold in the dark of night, in November, the Month of the Dead. Not for children.
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FanfaresBarbara Willis-Sweete & Christopher Reilly 1993 29 minThe documentary film, Fanfares, explores the creative process six composers go through as they co-write a musical composition which is to be performed in a shopping mall.
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Les fleurs de macadamLaurent Coderre 1969 3 minIn this film, Jean-Pierre Ferland sings Les Fleurs de macadam, about the industrial workers of Montréal who are tied to the grind and grime of the city.
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Harmonium in CaliforniaRobert Fortier 1979 28 minThis short documentary follows Quebec band Harmonium as they tour California in the mid-'70s with then-Premier René Lévesque in an effort to promote the province as well as introduce the group to the world's biggest music market. Here, we follow the ups and downs of Harmonium's promotional efforts and hear some of their music.
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HarmonieBonnie Sherr Klein 1977 19 minA gentle blend of music, people and nature; a summer camp where melodies ripple off the waves and rhythms bounce out of the shadows. Every summer since 1953, CAMMAC (Canadian Amateur Musicians/Musiciens Amateurs du Canada) has held a bilingual music camp in Québec's Laurentian Mountains. Here, people of all ages and levels of musical ability come together to learn and make music with a professional staff of Canadian and international musicians.
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Kate and Anna McGarrigleCaroline Leaf 1981 27 minThis short documentary profiles Quebec-born singing sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The sisters enjoy international acclaim—although outside of the mainstream—for their inimitable style, their talent as songwriters, and especially their unassuming, informal personalities. With camera and sketchbook in hand, artist and filmmaker Caroline Leaf captures the sisters’ endearing qualities. The result is an easygoing, sometimes whimsical portrait of the famous sisters on and off stage. Highlights include excerpts from the sisters’ Carnegie Hall performance and a look at their songwriting and recording processes.
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La Bastringue Madame BolducGeorge Geertsen 1992 4 minThis animated short provides an illustrated version of Madame Bolduc's popular French song, La Bastringue. Although virtually unknown in English Canada, Bolduc is a well-known folk singer among French Canadians in Quebec and New England, circa the 1930s. This was one of her most famous songs.
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Les gens du plaisir (English Version)Michel Brault & André Gladu 1979 27 minIn April, at sugaring off time, farmers descended from the 1837 Patriotes in Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu gather in their sugar shacks in a traditional celebration of spring in song. After the last sap is gathered, Josaphat Richer, André Richer and his clan host the families of local singers.
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Les ruine-babines (English Version)Michel Brault & André Gladu 1975 24 minIn Quebec, ruine-babines (literally, lip destroyer) is a common term for the harmonica. It’s also the name of a group of young musicians from the Montréal region. Gilles Garand, Louise De Grosbois, and friends embarked on an exploration of their musical roots, and they talk about their discovery of French-Canadian folk music.
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Le merleNorman McLaren 1958 4 minIn this animation film, Norman McLaren imparts unusual activity to an old French-Canadian nonsense song. Simple white cut-outs on pastel backgrounds, many by Evelyn Lambart, provide lively illustrations. The folksong "Mon Merle" is sung in French by the Trio Lyrique of Montreal.
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The Megaphone ReelSerge Giguère 1999 52 minThis musical documentary by Serge Giguère focuses on Gilles Garand, a passionate promoter of Quebec’s heritage and an ardent champion of workers’ rights. Garand is a lively figure—a harmonica and accordion player, a CNTU servicing representative, and an organizer of La Grande Rencontre. Filmed in Montreal, Quebec City, and France, the film offers a rare opportunity to hear the masters of Quebec traditional music, Aldor Morin and Philippe Bruneau, who are featured at La Grande Rencontre. In French with English subtitles.
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A Song for QuebecDorothy Todd Henaut 1988 55 minProduced in 1988, this feature documentary presents a living history of Quebec's last 40 years as seen through the eyes of one couple. Pauline Julien and Gérald Godin, two Quebec artists, share their perspectives on the events that have marked Quebec's evolution. Julien, a singer, and Godin, a poet, express their love and passion for the province (and each other) while providing a unique take on the Quebec nationalist movement.
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Soiree at St.HilarionRené Bonnière & Pierre Perrault 1960 29 minA virtual prisoner of the winter snows that block its roads, the village of St.Hilarion, to justify its name, revels in the joys of the jig and the "turlutte", the lilting songs that tell the humorous tale, ever new and yet essentially always the same, about the sorry fate of the one who gives into temptation.
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These Forgotten VoicesBlaise Barrette 2008 43 minHere's a concert with a difference: The fifteen singers all have mental health problems. Yet they've recorded a CD and have performed on stage in front of 500 people. Filmmaker Blaise Barrette spent a year with them, filming their confidence-building adventure. From the difficult first singing lessons to the highly successful concert, Ces voix oubliées bears witness to an amazing change in the participants. An inspiring documentary that defies prejudice. In French with English subtitles.
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TaxiRoland Stutz 1969 2 minClaude Léveillée expresses the frustrations of a taxi driver steering his vehicle through the obstacle course of downtown traffic. Accelerated camera action heightens the fury and the frenzy.
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Why I SingJohn Howe 1972 57 minThis documentary is an intimate portrait of popular French singer-songwriter Gilles Vigneault and how he helped revitalize Quebec musical culture. Vigneault shows a different side of himself as he discusses some of the themes he explores in songs like his international hit “Mon Pays.”
