The Rocket
"The image is like a musical score that the sound editor must study, practice, cut, and interpret. They modulate, arrange, and orchestrate various soundscapes to achieve the desired emotional effect." This is how sound editor and designer Claude Beaugrand described his craft in a poignant essay published in 24 images magazine in 1992. Both a craftsman and an artist, he would immerse himself in the directors' works he collaborated on, seeking, as he said, the "heart of the film."
Our tribute to Claude Beaugrand, who passed away on October 8, 2023, celebrates his talent and versatility, emphasizing his unique non-naturalistic approach to sound design, from La plante humaine by Pierre Hébert to Maurice Richard by Charles Binamé. The tribute also highlights two of his rarely seen short films, Clichés et ramasse-miettes and Peines perdues, both brilliant reflections on image and sound.
Winner of nine Genie Awards in 2007, including Best Direction, Best Actor & Best Sound
Montreal, 1955. Thousands of French Canadians invade Sainte-Catherine Street to protest against a severe sanction imposed on their idol, Maurice Richard. Clarence Campbell, president of the NHL, had just banned him not only from the last three games of the season, but also from all playoff games. Infuriated by what they saw as a discriminatory decision, the Rocket fans turned riotous and violent, much to their hero's dismay. Maurice Richard is far from believing that he deserves to be defended so vigorously...
Charles Binamé
Charles Binamé is a Quebec director, screenwriter, and actor. He was born in Belgium and came to Montreal with his family at a young age. He joined the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) as an assistant director in 1971, but soon left for the private sector. During the 1970s, he mostly directed documentaries for Quebec television, and in the 1980s he directed over 400 television commercials, including some in England. When he returned to Canada in the early 1990s, he directed two of Quebec's most popular television series of all time, Blanche, the sequel to the series Les Filles de Caleb for which he won seven Prix Gémeaux and the FIPA d'or at the Cannes Film Festival, and Marguerite Volant. In the 1990s as well, Binamé wrote and directed a trio of edgy urban dramas – Eldorado (1995), Streetheart (1998) and Pandora's Beauty (2000). His big-budget Séraphin: Heart of Stone was a huge box-office hit in Quebec, winning the Golden Ticket and six Jutra Award in 2003. In 2005, he directed The Rocket, a biography of the Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard, which earned him a Genie Award for best director.
Photo: Michel Gauthier | Collections de la Cinémathèque québécoise
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Les exploits d'un homme, les rêves d'un peuple
Maurice Richard, c’est l’histoire d’une oeuvre formidablement élaborée sur papier, faisant part d’une rigueur exemplaire au niveau de la reconstitution d’époque comme de l’approche de la vie et de la carrière de l’un des grands noms de la petite histoire du Québec.
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L'univers sonore de Claude Beaugrand vu par Olivier Calvert
À titre de monteur sonore, Olivier Calvert a travaillé aux côtés du regretté Claude Beaugrand pour les films Maurice Richard, Soie, Yellowknife et Embrasse-moi comme tu m’aimes, pour ne nommer que ceux-là. Nous l’avons invité à plonger dans ses souvenirs de sa collaboration avec Claude Beaugrand, qui s’est éteint le 8 octobre 2023.
