Complaint for Sainte-Catherinean iconic song by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, is the inspiration behind The girl in the red beret, the latest project from director Janet Perlman. His charming musical short film will be presented outdoors on Friday as part of the Animation Film Summits, which begin on Tuesday.
Fate doesn’t always have the same plans in mind that we made. The song Complaint for Sainte-Catherine was not designed to go down in history and become one of the flagship titles of the McGarrigle sisters. Anna composed it in 1974 on a text by Philippe Tatartcheff, to fill the B side of a 45 rpm on which was to be engraved her Tribute to Henri Richard.
“André Perry, who was the director, wanted me to do a La Bolduc song,” recalls Anna McGarrigle. I told him that I couldn’t do that, that I couldn’t jiggle. Philippe and I wrote that in about fifteen minutes. When we signed with Warner, they wanted us to do that song again. » Complaint for Sainte-Catherinea bit Cajun in its original version, was set to an almost reggae rhythm for the duo’s first album, recorded with American big names like guitarist David Spinoza, drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Tony Levin.
This now famous track – especially for those who were young adults in the 1970s – is today the anchor of The girl in the red beret, the latest animated short from illustrator and director Janet Perlman. Inspired by the lyrics and mood of the song, it recounts the subway ride of a young woman who casts an open and sometimes amazed gaze on the effervescence of Montreal, its incongruities as well as its diversity. All this in a playful and imaginative style.
Ordinary people
Anna McGarrigle does backing vocals and plays accordion on the new version, which is primarily worn by her daughter Lily Lanken and her niece Martha Wainwright, the daughter of her late sister Kate. Since music is a family affair with the McGarrigles, his son Sylvan and his sister Jane also do backing vocals. Her husband, Dane Lanken, who died in March, also participated in the new version.
The latter is signed Judith Gruber-Stitzer, who is based on the original version, but whose sound environment is completely reinvented. “Martha and Lily do the vocals in the verses, for the choruses she formed a choir. She wanted there to be people who are not artists, but ordinary people, like the people you meet on the subway, ”says Anna McGarrigle, from where this choir makes relatives and friends. whose job is not to sing.
The girl in the red beret will be one of the 10 short films screened on Friday on the Esplanade Tranquille of the Place des Festivals as part of the Animation Cinema Summits. The Flying Sailor (Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis), in the running for the Oscar for best animated short film in 2022, the clip of the song the wonderers by Ingrid St-Pierre and The Bermuda Triangle (Alice Gaboury-Moreau) will also be among the works shown on this occasion.
The girl in the red beret will also be presented in competition on May 11 and 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cinémathèque québécoise.
Three other events at the Animation Cinema Summits
Armenian Odyssey
The opening film of these 21are Summits of animation cinema, Aurora, the Armenian Star, is an animated documentary mixing animation and archival footage that tells the story of Aurora Mardiganian, an Armenian genocide survivor who became a silent film star. Director Inna Sahakyan will be present at the screening.
This Tuesday, 7 p.m., in the main screening room of the Cinémathèque québécoise
Pitou at the cinema
No need to deprive yourself of going to the cinema to stay with pup at home: Wednesday, dogs are also invited to the screening of the classic All dogs go to heaven by Don Bluth. It does not change anything for canine cinephiles, but know that the film is presented in French version.
Wednesday, 8 p.m., at the Café-bar of the Cinémathèque québécoise
red ketchup serial
Goes to bed early ? This is your chance to catch up and see two episodes of the animated series red ketchup, adapted from the comic strip created by Pierre Fournier and Réal Godbout and broadcast on Télétoon la nuit since April 20. Martin Villeneuve and other artisans of the animated version will be present.
Thursday, 8:30 p.m., at the Café-bar of the Cinémathèque québécoise