The film Imagine an angel who memorized all the sights and sounds of a city. Imagine them coming to life: busy streets full of people and vehicles, activity at the port, children playing in yards and lanes, lovers kissing in leafy parks. Then recall the musical accompaniment of the past: Charles Trenet, Raymond Lévesque, Dominique Michel, Paul Anka, . Groove to an Oscar Peterson boogie. Dream to the Symphony of Psalms by Stravinsky.

That city is . That angel guarding the sights and sounds is the National Film Board of . The combined result is The Memories of Angels, Luc Bourdon’s virtuoso assembly of clips from 120 NFB films of the ’50s and ’60s.

The Memories of Angels will charm audiences of all ages. It’s a journey in time, a visit to the varied corners of Montreal, a tribute to the vitality of the city and a wonderful cinematic adventure. It recalls ’ Wings of Desire in which angels flew over and watched the citizens of Berlin. It has the same sense of ubiquity, the same flexibility, the sense of dreamlike freedom allowing us to fly from Place Ville- Marie under construction to the workers in a textile factory or firemen at work. Underpinning the film is Stravinsky’s music, representing love, hope and faith. A firefighter has died. The funeral procession makes its way up St. Laurent Boulevard. The Laudate Dominum of the 20th century’s greatest composer pays tribute to him. The Memories of Angels 2 press kit

The temps des showcases

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recallsthe talent theof filmmakers Les The Memories of Angels by Hubert Aquin. by and Renée Roy. And the the singular beauty of Montreal, its human architectural wealth and the grandeur of its and setting. birthday,70th celebrateits to ready gets NFB the As who trained their cameras and microphones on worldaround the them, as well as the amazing ability of an artist to model new material from old. Like today’s DJs whoenergizecontemporary VJs and musicart,and Luc Bourdondraws from the fertile source greatof cinemaandrecycles the sights andsounds theof past, lendingthem newanda unexpected texture. The film is jubilanta re-think timewherespace,andtheordinaryof citizenreceives thesame tender theasfamous:regard Armand Vaillancourt, Félix Leclerc, ,Alfred Desrochers. documentary fiction, poetry, Memoriesis AngelsThe of and essay rolled into one. It is also a joyous, touching experience and a collectivedance in one’s mind long after the closing credits. history whose threads MemoriesAngelsof amours Director Luc Bourdon the underlining sequences, clear andfluid, assembled have his editor Michel beauty Giroux of the black-and-white images contrasted colourwith ones. gorgeous images of actress Geneviève they Bujold, seem don’t familiar? Yes, they’re from the church from The superb colour shots of modern buildings are from Albédo Without commentary, didacticism or ostentation,film history a is lesson the of last century: the light red the district, the eloquent Jean Drapeau, the young Queen Elizabeth greeting the crowd and Tex Lecor “Aux shouting armes Québécois of hockey glory, here’s burstingdepartmentwithproduce,thefreshand the stores Jacques-Cartier market downtown thronged with Christmas Morgan’swasstill shoppers.there onSt.Catherine, nowreplaced Look, by The Bay. recognizemaythefilms thatYou provided these sights: the Jones brothers of Production stills The Memories of Angels 3 press kit (1989, (1986), Classes Promenades Promenades Plan de fuite/ (1988). These Director at Espace Go (1997) at Espace Go (1997) , a site-specific work, La grande bibliothèque bibliothèque grande La (1984, (1984, co-directed with The Memories of Angels Guerriers La quinzaine de la vidéo Distance (2000)and À À mille lieux (1995). consisted of two installations shown Ne retenez pas votre souffle (1999). His consistent, multi-form work earned earned work multi-form consistent, His (1999). The Story of Feniks and Abdullah Quinto et HommageQuintoet Dela parole aux actes (1985) (1985) and Exit the King the Exit (1998), Touei Touei 2008, his filmaboutConservatoirethehis 2008, dramatiqued’artmusique etde du , made with Josette Bélanger, was part of the Cent jours d’art contemporain School’s Out andHeures School’s exquises! (1993) early works heralded the artist’s propensity for poetryemphasishisandsensations on ratherin realisticthanon bothrepresentation. language and form, and TheFlight Memories Plan (1995) of Angels eloquently illustrate this. Throughout his multi-faceted career, Bourdon has established himselfexperimenter, as an a artisttireless who offers up immersive, impressionist worlds (see maîtres, de consistent a practice His by effort marked is Québec). reshape the to moving image through a playful approach to sound and image. He has theoccasionally single-channel departed format fromto create video installations: his lumières 1986 work piece Montréal;1992 de his at Montreal’s Oboro gallery and elsewhere; and showed at the Bonsecours Market as part of the celebrations for anniversaryMontreal’s 350th in 1992. Ever ready to engage with other artistic forms, heGarneau’s Michel for has Dubois René-Daniel with notably also worked in the theatre, 1998), François Girard), Girard), François (2008), Bourdon’s(2008), first work for the National Film Board of Canada. Throughout the 1980s, Bourdon gained his underscored originality and probing mind, like recognition through singular works that (2005) (2005) focus on the arts and culture. All of his productions historydraw on the and notions memory, of themes that also form the crux of Luc Bourdon Prolificfilmmaker LucBourdon Canada’soneofleadingis video artists. Overthe last 25 years, he has made some fifty works ranging from experimentaldocumentary to pieces. drama Manyand of his works, like Questionde bande and Eugène Ionesco’s Bellhim theCanada 1998 Award from the Canada Council forthe Arts. noteworthyA presence in Quebec film and video,centres he and arts has long organizations, been notably associated as to and1998 of Les a withFilms de l’autre member from artist-run to1990 In1996. addition of to his Vidéographe film work, from 1982 he has taught videomaking at various universities since From 1994. 2000 to 2003, he was artistic and executive directornouveaux of the médias Festival du de nouveau Montréal helpedhasandorganizevideomany cinéma events, including et (FCMM). des He has also been part of numerous think tanks Photo: Carl Valiquet The Memories of Angels 4 press kit Medicine Medicine (people’s (people’s The Invisible Invisible The . Producer . He also worked on (best documentary (best at (Collection Mémoire). He is now now is He Mémoire). (Collection Who Shot My Brother? Bacon, the Film the Bacon, Executive Producer Executive Producer Executive Under the Hood: A Voyage into the World World the into Voyage A Under Hood: the and (best cultural documentary atGémeaux 2004) (Caméra au poing Award, RIDM 2006) and Between (international Strauss Florence Notes by Two Driven by Dreams by Serge Giguère (co-produced with Raymond Klibansky: Philosophy From to Life (FIFA Award Hubert Reeves: Star Teller Star Hubert Reeves: Nadia’s Nadia’s Journey A. Thanks to her extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the The Cabinet of Doctor Ferron by Patricio Henriquez, by Patricio Henriquez (co-produced with Macumba International), The Dark Side International), with Macumba of (co-produced Henriquez Patricio by Just Watch Me - Trudeau and Generation, Me Justthe Trudeau - Watch 70’ Cueca Sola La by Richard Desjardins and Robert Desjardins Monderie, Richard by What Remains of Us (selected at the International Critic’s Week, Cannes 2004; Jutra for choice at FNC 2005), and best documentary in 2005). His recent productions include Under the Influence (best science and nature documentary, Gémeaux 2006). Christian joined the NFB’s French Program on such productions as in Montreal in 1999 to work as the lineGilles Groulx producer box set. In 2003, he was citoyennesetthebox Michel producerofand of Brault,the interactive œuvresWeb project 1958-1974 Parole Christian Medawar Christian Medawar holds a BA in Communications and a master’s degree in History.odd yearsHis of 20-experience in film encompass work inproduction themanageras private 1990 joinedinsector, mainlyhewhich Program,English NFB’s in theadvertising, in work followedby studio,workingworkedTorontoProgram’s hewith Frenchthe 1998, In then andlineproducer. on the films Just Generation and Trudeau Watch Me: the ‘70s and No Quick Fix international producer at the Quebec Studio. Nation Torture of the White Lady and Rapide-Blanc) du productions Les co-production with Les Films d’Ici and Amythos Films). In January 2007, Loumède was appointednational de l’image et du son, documentary where she pursues a parallel career as independent program producer. director at the Institut Colette Loumède After earning a law degree, Colette Loumède decided workingfilms, began with she Coopérative La Vidéoscopiqueto Montréal, de where stayed she work in cinema. Drawn to auteur production.creationthenfilmandpositionsvarietyShe torelated occupyingof a years, ten for SynercomTéléproductionsand RegardProductions joiningduLes privatesector, the to moved (a group of regional producers), following which (Société de she développement became des entreprises culturelles project du Québec). manager for SODEC Between 2002 and 2007, Documentary she Studio was executive internationalpartnershipsproductionnumerousnationalandbuiltfilmprivate producerwith industry,she of the NFB companies, produced French or co-produced over 30 films Program’s and won many awards. 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Thanks to Chanonat Michelle McWilliams Don Yvon Rivard Carol Faucher Pascale Ferland and René Roberge Claudette, Daniel and Line Estate ofIgor Stravinsky Montreal Radio Standard NHL Productions Paul Anka Marketing officer François Jacques assisted by Solen Labrie Trépanier Administrator Manon Provencher Production coordinator NathalieCloutier Administrative assistants Dominique Brunet Lise Lévesque Technical coordinator Richard Cliche Associate producer Maryse Chapdelaine Associate producer, development Christiane Germain Producer, development Colette Loumède Executive producers Yves Bisaillon Colette Loumède Producer Christian Medawar The Memories of Angels French Program Quebec Studio A production of the National Film Board of Canada www.nfb.ca © 2008 NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA and music by: Rathburn Eldon Landry Yvan Thomas René Campbell Kenneth François Dompierre Venne Stéphane PierreMercure Lapointe Jean Lemay Jérôme Frank Duboise “Frère Jacques” “Frère Performed by John Newmark Arranged by Maurice Blackburn “Les trottoirs” Performed by Dominique Michel Written by Raymond Lévesque With the permission of Éditions musicales Patricia Sarl / Semi Société / SODRAC St-Henri”“À Written and performed by Raymond Lévesque With the permission of Industrie musicale enrg. / SODRAC “Le soleil et la lune” Performed by Charles Trenet Written by Charles and Trenet Albert Lasry With the permission of Éditions Raoul Breton “Chanson du temps perdu” Performed by Hélène Savard C. Written by With the permission of Éditions Vent qui vire / SODRAC “Bozo les culottes” Written and performed by Raymond Lévesque With the permission of Éditions Gamma Ltée / SODRAC “Mattinata Fiorentina (Maria Mia)” Written by Giovanni D’Anzi, Michele Galdieri and Carl Sigman With the permission of EMI Robbins Catalog Inc. “Put Head Your On My Shoulder ” Written and performed by Paul Anka With the permission of Chrysalis Music Group “Qui bat la mesure du cœur” Performed by Monique Mercure Written by Georges Dor With the permission of Éditions Emmanuel Inc. / SODRAC “Le patriote” Written and performed Lecor by Paul Tex With the permission of Éditions Gamma Ltée / SODRAC “Chérie tu me demandes si je t’aime” Written and performed by Willie Lamothe With the permission of Densta Music / SODRAC “Mamma” Written by Cesare Andrea Bixio and Geo Koger With the permission of PeerMusic Canada / CMRRA “J’ai laissé“J’ai mon cœur” Performed by Gisèle Mackenzie Laflèche Written by Michel Emer With the permission of BMG Music Publishing Canada Piano boogie-woogie Performed by Oscar Peterson “Au parc Lafontaine” parc “Au Performed by Lyrique le Trio Written by Pierre Petel, arranged by Alan MacIvor “Symphony of Psalms” of “Symphony Played by the CBC Symphony Orchestra Composed and conducted by Igor Stravinsky With the permission of Boosey and Hawkes / CMRRA Musical excerpts Fit“Joshua the Battle of Jericho” Performed by The Commodores With Commodores The Igor Stravinsky Vaillancourt Armand Oscar Peterson Gisèle Mackenzie Laflèche Denise Provost Jean Brousseau LéoJ. Gagnon YvanLeroux Newmark John Daunais Lionel Félix Leclerc Michel Dominique Trenet Charles Desrochers Alfred Lecavalier René Lévesque Raymond Geneviève Bujold Jean Faubert Pauline Julien Etienne Aubray François Tassé Nolin Patricia Paul Anka Ulrich Barbara Godin Gérald Charles Denner Jourdan Danielle Mouffe Carol-LynneTraynor Mercure Monique Claude Godbout LecorPaul Tex Jean Drapeau Lamothe Willie and many other participants