Denis Dubois is not the type to twiddle his thumbs by the fire in his country house. Shortly after leaving his position as vice-president of original content at Quebecor, in June 2023, the man we like to describe as “one of the most influential men in the Quebec television industry” began to work on a large-scale project.
At the Petit Dep in Griffintown, in the decor of cleverly chosen kitsch furniture and trinkets, he spoke to me about this idea which completely won over Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications.
I ask him to describe this unique project to me in one sentence. After a good breath, he launches: “It is a multidisciplinary and immersive event project which aims to invigorate our collective esteem, to inspire new generations and to touch the people who live in our territory through a musical work which will borrow from the documentary. »
More concretely, Denis Dubois wants to create five or six cinematographic sections (one per year) where music will occupy a lot of space.
The result could be broadcast in theaters, on television (he dreams of seeing all four networks broadcast the work simultaneously) or on other digital platforms.
From this work, immersive shows would be drawn which would go on tour. Denis Dubois also wants the project to “grow” and take the form of exhibitions or special events. “As the project takes several forms, I want to surround myself with the best creative minds in Quebec,” he says.
For the moment, Denis Dubois has joined forces with the Déferlantes team, a production company led by Jean-Philippe Dion and Benoit Clermont, to ensure the deployment stage of the project which has received the approval of the Ministry of Culture and whose job title is Moment.
In the working document that was given to me, it is written that “this event wishes to shake up the way of presenting varieties, both in its container and its content. No facilitator is required, a simple voiceover ensures that people are guided through this unique experience.” The events will be highlighted by the constant presence of music, a bit like a DJ would do.
The sections of this docu-variety will present, like a timeline, a significant decade in Quebec from various aspects (political, artistic, sporting, events, society, etc.). The creator was quick to tell me that the form will have nothing to do with the historical series that we have already known in Canada or Quebec, some rather successful, others frankly unsuccessful.
Why such a company? you ask yourself. “So that we can tell our story,” says Denis Dubois. And do it another way. » Moment aims to highlight Quebec culture, its achievements, its territory, its values and its French language.
Who are we today? This is the question we ambitiously want to answer with this project. Thanks to immigration, Quebec has changed a lot in recent decades. The presence of new arrivals will have a place in this project. “I think it will also be a way of integrating and welcoming,” says Denis Dubois. I want them to find themselves in there, but also to discover the society in which they live. »
In developing this project, Denis Dubois thought a lot about the 30-45 year old generation, the last to have experienced the impact of “common listening”. This term came up often during our conversation. “In fact, the disappearance of common listening creates a communication problem. When we don’t talk about the same things, we get lost. »
In this era of division and a strong multiplication of sources of information and entertainment, Denis Dubois believes more than ever in the role of major and unifying events. “I am fascinated by the phenomenon of bias. I have already imagined a show where three people would recount the same event, each through their own prism. »
If everyone develops their own version of the facts of the same event, imagine what it looks like when no one draws from the same sources. “When we no longer have the same cultural references, the same language that brings us together, that worries me for the future. »
Basically, what Denis Dubois is proposing is a gigantic collective happening, like our television does less and less, which will meet the public and which will nourish its spirit.
“We lost the platform war,” he says. It was inevitable. The tidal wave was too big. But we must say that we have not lost the content war. I sincerely think that people will always want to tell their stories and hear themselves told. »
The objective that Denis Dubois pursues with this project is to give those who come to the viewings or see the shows the taste of exchanging and discussing. “I want to inspire them, I want to reconnect them with each other. Otherwise, we will become beings who will live in their individuality. »
Denis Dubois recognizes that he did not always have this desire to preserve our collective memory. “But I feel that over the past ten years, there are things that are slipping away from us. »
The project Moment is at the development stage. Surveys will be carried out to guide researchers. Denis Dubois wants to launch the first part in 2025-2026.
To be continued !