Paying Tribute to Roger Racine

Paying Tribute to

Roger Racine csc

Photos by Anne Kmetyko

Roger Racine csc.

Roger Racine csc may be one of the oldest members of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers – and the former chair of its Montreal chapter – but few may be aware of his work as a director. In fact, Racine’s first feature, The Butler’s Night Off, put actor William Shatner in his first film role but was never released. Recently, Bruno Philip csc discovered another of Racine’s forgotten feature films and teamed up with the Cinémathèque québécoise in Montreal this summer to screen the film for the first time in North America, as well as to pay tribute to Racine, who is now in his 90s.

Ribo ou “Le Soleil sauvage,” a love story set in a polygamous village in the heart of Cameroon, was shot on location in 1975 on 35 mm film. “I discovered the film through talking with [Racine’s son] Christian,” who run’s Racine’s production company Cinéfilms & Vidéo, Philip explains. “I said we should pay homage, because there was not a real homage being paid to Roger in Quebec.” According to Philippe Lavallette csc, who attended the June 5 event, Racine is “exactly in the middle of the history of film in this country. He’s historically very important. I find that he has never had true recognition, and I think this is very nice tonight.” Besides Philip and Lavallette, Pierre Letarte csc, Roger Moride csc and associate member Yorgos Giannelis were just a few of the CSC members in

attendance, along with other industry representatives, media and camera people, many eager to pay tribute to Racine in person.

“We’re celebrating a treasure here tonight,” Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol, director general of the Cinémathèque québécoise, told the crowd. “It is our mandate to show these films. We collect things, but you have to show them too. It’s not enough just to put them in vaults.”

For Philip it was important to screen the film because “this is the last film he made as a director and DP,” he said. “For us DPs it’s important because it was shot on Techniscope (2- perf) and it was pre-flashed at the lab and then processed. And it was done in 1975. We need to remember those guys who were working with nuts-and-bolts equipment and making great pictures. This is why I want to pay homage to them.”

Despite his advanced age, Racine made time to talk to everyone who wanted to pay a personal tribute and was gracious and humble in the face of the accolades. “The only thing I have to say is thanks for coming,” the cinematographer said in a short speech before the film was screened. “Our profession is a means of communication, and when it’s non-communicable it is no longer cinema.”

The event was made possible with the assistance of Denis Paquette, president of Cinepool; Christian Racine, president of Cinéfilms & Vidéo; and Fabrice Montal, director of conservation and distribution at the Cinémathèque québécoise.

Pierre Letarte csc with Roger Moride csc

Iolande Cadrin-Rossignol, director general of the Cinémathèque québécoise.