The Office du film du Québec (OFQ) was a little-known organization that suffered from comparisons with the National Film Board of Canada (ONF). However, Quebec was the first Canadian province to use cinema for educational purposes. The historian Marc-André Robert reminds us of this forgotten adventure.
In the 1920s and 1930s, public officials Joseph Morin and Gilbert Fournier became interested in the educational virtues of cinema. At the Ministry of Agriculture, Joseph Morin makes short films and presents them to rural agricultural communities. As for Gilbert Fournier, he is with the Provincial Health Service of the Department of Health and is a member of the Society of Motion Pictures Engineers.
From 1940, the Service de Cine-Photography de la Province de Québec was officially established. Joseph Morin and Father Maurice Proulx – who, in collaboration with Prime Minister Adélard Godbout, is Special Advisor on Creation – are the main leaders of the organization. “These films are shown a lot,” says Marc-André Robert. There is a diverse audience. »
In 1944, the election of Maurice Duplessis did not bode well for the photography department. Abbé Maurice Proulx, a good strategist, argued to the Prime Minister that the service allowed for the principle of provincial autonomy. Duplessis then retained the Cinema-Photography Service.
According to Marc-André Robert, the Duplessis government does not directly interfere in politics, but filmmakers do impose “prescriptive censorship” on themselves.
During the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, the Service de cine-photography, which became L’Office du film du Québec in 1961, did not escape the reforms of Jean Lesage’s government.
Later, the most important mandate of the Office du film du Québec came at Expo 67. In November 1967, the Office du film du Québec was given the cultural sector. However, the OFQ came with the Bureau de Censure, and the Minister of Culture, George-Émile Lapalme, did not want it.
In February 1968, talks began to form Radio-Québec (now Télé-Québec). When it was founded in October 1969, Radio-Québec inherited the educational mission of the Office du Film du Québec. From then on he slowly dies.
Finally, Marc-André Robert talks about the legacy of the “first traces of our national cinema” and the outstanding filmmakers who had their first experiences there.
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