Monday, November 3, 2008

The Memories of Angels



I'm totally excited about this fab new film from the National Film Board.

The Memories of Angels is a stunning portrait of Montreal in the 1950's and 60's, in "sights, sounds and music". Culled from vintage NFB stockshots, the film lies somewhere between poetry, documentary and essay. Without narration, this film effectively paints the portrait of a city that underwent massive transformations in the years leading up to, and during, Expo 67.

Like a DJ mixing music, director Luc Bourdon skillfully "remixed" scenes of a bygone city: busy streets of people, motor cars and streetcars, children playing in yards and lanes, bustling department stores during Christmas, panoramic views of Expo 67... to name but a few. Aesthetically interesting to me was the contrast of black and white and color footage.

The Memories of Angels is playing at Ex-Centris until November 13, 2008.

Place Ville Marie was only one of many grand scale projects in the 1960's.

St-Catherine street's vegas-style neon signs.

Dunn's, a smoked-meat institution in Montreal.

Québecois legend Félix Leclerc with a young Dominique Michel.

Think that snow removal was better in the good old days? Think again!

Montreal's shining moment in the 1960's: Expo 67.

images: nfb.ca

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