Quebecor is pleased that the movie Léolo, part of its Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema movie database, has been selected for screening at the Cannes Festival in the Cannes Classics section. It will be the first movie restored by Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema to be presented at Cannes. The Cannes Classics section shows digitally remastered classics.

We are very happy and proud that this classic of Québec cinema will be seen by audiences at Cannes. Movies aren’t just great entertainment; they reflect a society and its history. Quebecor launched Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema in order to bring Québec’s cinematic heritage to the widest possible audience and we are delighted to be able to share that heritage with movie lovers beyond our borders.

Léolo by Jean-Claude Lauzon was digitalized in 2K using Arriscan technology. The colour correction was performed using Da Vinci Resolve and the restoration with Phoenix, PF Clean and Revival. The work was done by Technicolor Creative Services under the supervision of Marie-José Raymond and Claude Fournier, assistant directors of Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema.

Preserving Québec’s cinematic heritage for future generations

The aim of Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema, launched by Quebecor in 2008, is to digitally remaster all the fictional feature films ever made in Québec and make them readily available. To date, more than 200 movies have been restored and more are being added to the catalogue regularly. The films are available on Videotron’s illico video on demand service, illico mobile and illico.tv. Since November 18, 2013, movie buffs have also been able to access part of the catalogue through iTunes Canada, and since April 15, 2014 through iTunes Europe and iTunes Africa in countries where French or English is an official language.

Except for a small amount to cover a portion of the platform’s operating costs, all distribution revenues go to the rights holders and the filmmakers. Éléphant is a philanthropic project from which Quebecor derives no financial benefit.

The elephant.canoe.ca website contains a wealth of data on Québec cinema, including detailed information on all the fictional feature films, trailers, on-set stills, current news, special reports, a blog and hundreds of exclusive interviews with the people who have shaped Québec cinema.

The book Les images que nos sommes, 60 ans de cinéma québécois by anthropologist Serge Bouchard, initiated as part of the Éléphant: The memory of Quebec cinema, traces 60 years of Québec cinema history, providing a unique take on Québec society. It is published by Éditions de l’Homme. An electronic version containing 73 movie excerpts is also available.