| 5:20 p.m. | The River Schooners Pierre Perrault (Canada, 1968) |
(Les voitures d'eau). The third of Perrault's Île-aux-Coudres films is an homage to the glories of a dying world. The title refers to the watercraft that once played a crucial role in the St. Lawrence River's transport system. Like the beluga hunt in Of Whales, the Moon and Men, they represent a vanishing tradition. Of all Perrault's films, this is the most closely engaged with the changing economy of Quebec. Ship captains explain the complexities of shipping on the great river and the ways industrial pressures hastened the abandonment of traditional means of construction and transport. What distinguishes The River Schooners is Perrault's obsession with la parole [talk]. People in this film have a great deal to say and do so with great verve and humor. Bernard Gosselin's camera finds strikingly beautiful visual equivalents. The film's final moments offer unforgettable images.
—Jerry White
• Photographed by Bernard Gosselin. (111 mins, In French with English subtitles, B&W, Beta SP, From National Film Board of Canada)
