Sherbrooke inaugurates 16th mural
The latest creation by the public art collective MURIRS was unveiled yesterday afternoon on King Street west. The group’s 16th mural, situated on the side of the building at the corner of Camirand and King, is an homage to the history of film in the city, celebrating industry professionals of the past and present.
“The wall speaks to us,” said MURIRS President Serge Malenfant, explaining the theme for the group’s most recent work at the inauguration yesterday.
Because the original Cinéma de Paris was nearby, Malenfant said film as a theme seemed a good fit for the Camirand/king mural.
The mural is a recreation of the front of the building with historic figures from local film history looking down from the roof at the movie movers and shakers of today.
Malenfant said that the Cinéma de Paris sign was painted using a special perspective technique called anamorphosis, to give the illusion to passers-by on King Street that the sign is hanging from the wall.
With this past June and July getting close to 50 per cent more rain than usual, Malenfant said completing the mural was no easy task.
Among the historical figures represented in the mural are Fred Mayo Clement, a U.S. politician and businessman who built the 700 seat Théâtre Clément in Sherbrooke in 1901. When constructed, it was the second largest theatre in Canada; Roudolphe Vallée, who took over the direction of four theatres in Sherbrooke in 1914, going on to form one of the largest theatre chains in Quebec; Mack Sennett (real name Michael Sinnott), a cabaret singer and actor born in Danville, who would go on to create his own film company Keystone, and introduce Charlie Chaplin to the world; Pauline Garon, Montreal born Broadway star turned Hollywood actress who, with the introduction of sound in film, took roles in French and English; Harry Saltzman, Sherbrooke born film producer who teamed up with Albert Broccoli to produce the first nine James Bond films.
To the upper left of the mural overlooking everything with a camera is Claude Choquette, teacher and founder of the Art and Communication program at Montcalm High School in Sherbrooke, inspiring a passion for filmmaking within his students for years.
Along the base of the mural, virtually eye to eye with pedestrians on Camirand Street, are members of the film community including director Anh Minh Truong, musician and actor Guy Jodin, actors Bernard Fortin and Maxime Gaudette, actress France Castel and MURIRS student cameraman Francis Veilleux.
Malika Bajjaje, director of the Sherbrooke World Film Festival, Jacques Foisy, founder and former owner of independent cinema Maison du Cinéma and Serge Malouin are also featured in the mural flipping through Maoluin’s book Sherbrooke, ville de cinema 18962002.