Sisyphus
The mission of the Centre d'art et essai de la Cinémathèque québécoise (CAECQ) is to primary program Quebec-made documentaries and independent fiction, as well as international documentaries, animated and foreign films, while encouraging opportunities for meetings between the public and the artists. Its programming is presented in conjunction with the Cinémathèque québécoise’s under the label New releases.
The screenings will be followed by a Q&A with Victor Pilon
Official Selection, FIFA 2024
During a 30-day marathon performance inspired by a personal tragedy, artist Victor Pilon shoveled. Based on The Myth of Sisyphus from Albert Camus, his choreographed 182-hour physical and psychological achievement offered moments of authenticity, introspection and beauty captured in Sisyphus, the film.
Through the contemplative yet mesmerizing images of his endless task, we witness the evolution of the acclaimed performance and its effect on the artist and the audience. Exhibiting emotion, determination and acceptance, Sisyphus reminds us that a human tragedy can be transformed into a liberating and healing journey.
Victor Pilon
Victor Pilon belongs to the first generation of artists described as multidisciplinary creators. A director, set designer, visual designer and photographer, he works on stage productions as well as large-scale public events. In the early 1980s, after two years in Europe, Pilon received a Bachelor’s degree in visual arts with a specialization in photography. His pieces are housed in the Canada Council Art Bank and Library and Archives Canada collection. A book on his artwork was published in 1988. In the early 1990s, after moving to Montreal, he met the artist who would become his greatest collaborator: Michel Lemieux. With their production company Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, they devise singular shows in which new technologies intensify the audience’s sensory and emotional experience. The duo masterfully integrates theatre, film, dance, poetry, visual arts, music and sound to create unique theatrical worlds. With over 30 works to their credit, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have garnered acclaim in Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia. His most recent creation, Sisyphus, is the culmination of his artistic career, as he stages himself in a physical performance of contemporary art that is both introspective and contemplative.
