The actors who have worked with Denys Arcand over the years sometimes describe him as “a visionary of Quebec society”, sometimes as “a great teenager” and are full of praise for the director of Decline of the American Empire And Barbarian invasions.
• Also read: Denys Arcand challenges political correctness with his new film “Testament”.
On the occasion of the release of the film Testament, Le Journal collected the testimonies of a dozen of them.
Remy Girard
Photo provided by Jan Thijs 2022
“I made seven films with Denys. He often tells me: I write them, you play them. In fact, I’m happy with his language, his dialogues and the way he describes things. I am very proud to have been able to act in his films for 40 years. Together we still made it to the highest awards like Cannes and the Oscars… It’s quite a journey we’ve been on together. It was also Denys who introduced me to cinema. Before I met him, I thought I was destined for a career in theater. Ultimately, I owe my career in cinema to him.”
Louise portal
Photo from the website Éléphant: remembering the cinema of Quebec
“Denys is someone who plays a big role in our cinematography and he is someone who plays a big role in my career as an actress. It was thanks to the success of The Decline of the American Empire that I had the opportunity to film in France in the late 1980s, particularly for the film My Best Friends. In Quebec there were Brother André and Denys Arcand. Because Dionysius worked miracles. It was truly “The Decline” that allowed Quebec cinema to shine around the world. And we’re still in that dynamic. He opened doors for us.”
Yves Jacques
Photo taken from the elephant site; Remembering the cinema of Quebec
“I have made six films with Denys, including his new film ‘Testament’, in which I play a small role. Denys met Rémy and me on stage at the Trident Theater in Quebec in the 1980s. We acted in a sketch he had written. He then took us to almost all of his films. It was a beautiful cinematic love story. He was actually the first person to direct me in a real first film role in The Fall of the American Empire. For me it is clear that it is unforgettable and he was, I must say, my cinema mentor for several years. And it’s always a pleasure to work with him. »
Pierre Curzi
Films from Seville
“Denys, I think he’s a great storyteller and obviously an accomplished director. One of the things that we don’t talk about often and that is discreet about him is that he is a worker. I see it in the quality of the scenarios he writes. I know that when he says certain things in his scenarios, it’s because they’re documented. And often it is the documentation that goes quite far. I remember him saying he went to prison for The Fall of the American Empire because he wanted to see what kind of people were in prison. He checks before he writes, resulting in solid scripts and dialogue that he doesn’t want anyone to miss. Because the words he writes are weighted and precise. We cannot change a sentence from Dionysius. He owns this profession deeply. »
Dorothée Berryman
JdeM
“Some encounters on the path of a life are significant and my meeting with Denys Arcand is one of them. Of course, the enormous critical and popular success of the film “The Fall of the American Empire” can advance a career. What was more important was the experience on an artistic and personal level. It is the feeling of being chosen, the trust that Denys gave me and the freedom that comes from it, the happiness of surprising him and the joy of a stage where harmony reigns: I was under the direction of Denys Arcand a free and happy artist! »
Eric Bruneau
SEVILLA MOVIES
“Dennys and I first met through tennis, at the Rogers Cup! We talked for a bit and about a year later he sent me the script for Reign of Beauty, which I thought was great. During the audition, he made it clear to me that I wasn’t obliged to play everything. I was a young actor back then and he helped me understand that the camera was already telling something and I didn’t have to act everything. There’s an economy to the game that I learned from him and that I’ve maintained for the rest of my career. It was an eye-opening thing for me. Denys is also one of the most cultured people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He has tremendous culture and tremendous intelligence. He is very curious and still questions himself a lot. He was very important in my career. »
Maripier Morin
Photo courtesy of Films Sevilla
“It was Denys Arcand who gave me my first chance as an actress. Before I got the role in Fall of the American Empire, I had never acted. I will always be grateful to him for this opportunity he gave me. On the film set, Denys is like a big teenager. He has the heart of a child and really loves being on set with his team. His sets are pleasant, friendly, and it happens in a good mood. It’s not uncommon for Denys to delay filming because he tells a tasty anecdote. He tells stories like no other. I emerged from the experience nourished, fulfilled, happy, and with a long list of films that Denys recommended that I could watch. »
Marcel Sabourin
Taken from the Elephant website
“Denys Arcand was my student at the University of Montreal. He was there, present, strange, quite attentive and he already had his ideas, he didn’t have much to learn from me [rires]. It was a great honor to have him in my class. Then he cast me in his first film because I was the only actor he knew [rires]. It’s an honor to find him. »
Marc Labrèche
Archive photo courtesy
“Working with Denys was certainly a privilege, an honor, but also a really great pleasure. It emerged from the triumph of barbarian invasions. I expected to meet someone who, without meaning to or even being aware of it, had presented himself as something above his abilities and who was deeply imbued with his heroic deeds. Rather, I discovered someone who was confident but deeply observant, brilliant but mischievous, rigorous but relaxed, determined without becoming impatient or clumsy, and who, even if he doubted deep down, was on set every morning her unwavering elegance showed, naturally funny and light with everyone.”
Guylaine Tremblay
VAT films
“With Denys Arcand, everything becomes a cinematic anecdote. I had never filmed with him before, so I can’t think of any particular anecdote about seeing this young man of 82 – because he is a young man, he is so lively, so bright and so there – but it was a constant joy . It was an honor to do this. »
Caroline Neron
Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm
“It is a true pleasure and privilege to work with him. Denys Arcand is a monument in Quebec. I’m a big fan of Denys, who I met playing The Dark Ages and outside of sets at festivals. He is a historian and the most cultured man I know. His culture is in everything. He also knows gossip, is funny, pleasant and extremely humane. Even though he is very close to his actors, just working with him puts you under pressure. It was a big challenge, I loved my role. »
Gaston Lepage
Courtesy of Radio-Canada
“I think I’ve been in all of Denys Arcand’s films since Jesus of Montreal except one. I was a guard in the Dark Ages, a guard in Jesus of Montreal, a guard in the hospital… But there I was promoted to painter in the will. With Denys that’s really not a problem. You can make suggestions. He gave us a backpack with the inscription “A good director is the one who knows how to choose the best actors and tries not to disturb them.” He chooses his world based on what he expects from them. I was with Louis-José Houde, who I didn’t know, and we laughed a lot. »
– In collaboration with Sarah-Émilie Nault