The Elephant in the Room: Interview with Eléphant ClassiQ’s Gérald Duchaussoy

Everything old is new again. Berthed from the initial goal to both restore and digitize over 200+ films in Quebec’s rich cinema of the past (e.g: Jean-Claude Lauzon’s Léolo – see pic above), Quebecor’s Éléphant ClassiQ is now moving into larger steel-trap memories of French film history and culture. I spoke to Gérald Duchaussoy, Project Manager for a new film fest initiative/event that’ll take place in Montreal in mid November, one that serves up a plate of restored classic French films from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Africa and Quebec — all with English subtitles.

Eric Lavallée: Film preservation and restoration is a serious business and now we have several silent film festivals, Il Cinema Ritrovato, TCM, Grand Lyon joining the ranks Cannes Classics in serving a public need. I was wondering what kind of recent trends you’ve notice and what is your take on why this has become such a strong market demand?
Gérald Duchaussoy: I feel there is a need to go back to film roots due to the fact that we are living a transition, from 35mm to DCPs, from film to digital files. It brings a strong desire to rediscover colors, to underline the works done by directors of photography, to admire the precision of camera movements. Likewise people wish to watch films in theaters due to superb conditions, without forgetting that an event is close to a concert experience, with stars on stage, presentations and tributes–hence our wish to create from scratch Eléphant ClassiQ, the first event dedicated to restored films in Canada. Often it is a definitive experience that will never happen again, even though you can discover and enjoy films on TV, computers and VOD, thanks to initiatives like Eléphant.

Concerning the second portion of the question, I reckon four factors: events such as ours create the demand, the number of TV channels calls for more films, VOD and pay-per-view, albeit burgeoning, are expanding vastly and there is still a film-lover niche that wishes to watch films beyond Blu-rays and DVDs.

Lavallée: It’s slim pickings in North America for classic film promotion. We have TCM Classic, Telluride’s sidebars and the excellent work from Janus/Criterion, and now comes the announcement of a Montreal-based fest called Éléphant ClassiQ. Could you give us an overview of what is in store?
Duchaussoy: Our aim is to bring the restored films, artists and masterclasses to the audience in Canada and make them feel good at home in Montreal, giving new lives to films which are part of our cultural history and need to be screened. We also strongly believe in the social ritual of going to the movie theater. As the slogan says: “coming to a theater near you.” And this is us, Eléphant ClassiQ.

Lavallée: Éléphant ClassiQ are perhaps at the forefront for what I would call a smartly devised “cultural” film preservation and their experiment/efforts appears to have paid off. Could you underline some of festival’s short term goals, describe how it may differ from its counterparts and discuss it’s strategic November date.
Duchaussoy: The first aim is to exist! We want to mix the cinephile experience with the more popular one, attract the audience, young and older, families and film buffs, make it grow in order to be able to make them discover different types of films. We come in peace, as film lovers first and foremost and wish to be as accessible as possible. November is indeed a tough date for Montreal as there are many festivals at that period but we are an event, not a festival so I think our logic is a bit different: we will be compact and rich on a short amount of time. On a more global map, it is ideal as we are after Venice Classics, the Festival Lumière in Lyon and before the Berlinale, TCM Classic Film Festival and, la crème de la crème, Cannes Classics and then Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna–even if we wouldn’t dare compare ourselves to them as we are, once again, an event for a general audience.

Lavallée: In your opinion, is there a region/territories in the world that excels in film preservation and we could learn a lesson from and which economically strapped country does the most for their cinema heroes of the past?
Obvisously France is to me the example to follow. Where do you find a cultural institution as strong as the CNC (with the Archives françaises du film at Bois d’Arcy) which supports financially restorations every three months? You have Cannes Classics lead by Thierry Frémaux inside the biggest film festival in the world, the Institut Lumière with its huge public festival and its Classic Film Maket for professionals, exhibitors with talents, distributors which take risks, syndicates and institutions, a stable Blu-ray and DVD market, energetic companies such as Carlotta, strong studios like Gaumont or Pathé. Pathé has even created a foundation headed by Sophie Seydoux and has brand new theater, without forgetting that they will open soon a multiplex dedicated only to films from the past. And, last but not least, a national treasure, the Cinémathèque française.

Lavallée: What are some of the difficulties in programming live events that are inherently tied to films that are several generations old?
Duchaussoy: First, looking out for DCPs which do not necessarily exist. Finding the best prints and getting the rights, trying to find a balance between discoveries and expected films, or what you think is expected. Finding the correct equilibrium between the artistic and the popular. Convincing artists to come especially when you are the new kid in town. Keeping in mind that you would like to satisfy every generation. The easiest part? Knowing that you have the chance to open to people cracking doors that have been fixed–no more scratches or hisses, turn the knob, sit, watch and enjoy Eléphant ClassiQ.

The first edition of the Eléphant ClassiQ Film Festival takes in Montreal between November 19th – 22nd.