DOKU.ARTS
Zeughauskino Berlin
10.09.–12.10.2014

La mémoire des anges

The video artist Luc Bourdon was commissioned by the Canadian Office national du film to create a film entirely from material stored in their own archives. In his search for a theme, Bourdon decided on the history of the city of Montreal during the 1950s and 60s. La mémoire des anges (The Memories of Angels) features high quality footage from over 120 productions, excellently shot by eminent directors from the Quebec region, such as direct cinema pioneer Michel Brault, experimental filmmaker Arthur Lipsett and Denys Arcand. Augmented by outstanding sound design and wonderful musical numbers, Bourdon's homage succeeds in capturing the magic of the countless aspects and locations of city life: harbour work, markets, religious and political festivals, newspapers, restaurants, police, fire service, traffic, sports, leisure, arts, housing, the dead, night life... allowing us to participate emphatically in the life of this endlessly fascinating city.

Luc Bourdon

Luc Bourdon is one of Canada’s leading video artists. Over the last 25 years, he has made some fifty works ranging from documentary to drama and experimental pieces. All of his productions draw on the notions of history and memory. Throughout the 1980s, Bourdon gained recognition through singular works like Distance (1984), Touei (1985), and The Story of Feniks and Abdullah (1988). He has long been associated with artist-run centres and arts organizations, notably as a member of Vidéographe and Festival of New Cinema of Montreal.