A final tribute was paid to businessman and philanthropist Daniel Langlois and his wife Dominique Marchand at ExCentris in Montreal. Both were found dead in a burned-out vehicle in Dominica in the Caribbean last December and are believed to have been murdered in an ambush.
Several people went to the old ExCentris building to talk about the beautiful moments they spent with the couple. The choice of location was not insignificant: this former cinema complex, which was created by Daniel Langlois himself in 1999, is now home to several fine arts schools.
Particularly highlighted were Mr. Langlois' visionary qualities and his numerous artistic successes related to 3D animation technology in the 1980s and 1990s.
Daniel was originally an artist, not a technician. Instead, he later mixed technology and art, and that is his genius. The first dinosaur scene in “Jurassic Park” is the most revolutionary scene in the history of cinema in terms of special effects, said Philippe Bergeron, a former colleague of Daniel Langlois, praising his artistic contribution.
Daniel Langlois, a pioneer of computer animation, founded Softimage, an important cinema special effects company. From 1986 to 1998 he was its president and technology director.
In 1994, he sold this company to Microsoft for $200 million, with which, among other things, he founded the foundation that bears his name and is dedicated to promoting knowledge in the arts and sciences, all in a technological context.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante was present at the ceremony and wanted to talk about the fond memories she had spent at the facility and with the couple.
ExCentris was my hangout: I was always in this lively place that offered everything from more mainstream films to documentaries. I loved ExCentris, but also as mayor [je suis venue] to be able to tell family and friends that they were beautiful, smart and generous people, Ms. Plante said.
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Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante came to pay tribute to Daniel Langlois, his artistic work and ExCentris, the cinema complex he created in 1999.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Ms. Marchand's relatives present at ExCentris also wanted to commemorate the environmental and community qualities of the deceased, who strongly believed in sustainable development.
Dominica is in mourning
In Dominica, the couple owned the Coulibri Ridge Resort, a luxury hotel that aims to be independent of water and electricity while respecting the environment and community.
On November 3, during the Independence Day celebrations, the Government of Dominica awarded Daniel Langlois the Meritorious Service Award for his contribution to sustainable development and research projects, particularly in the hospitality and economic sectors.
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Dominica President Sylvanie Burton presented Daniel Langlois with the Meritorious Service Award. (archive photo)
Photo: Roosevelt Skerrit Facebook page
Mr. Langlois had also received awards in this country for his environmental commitment.
Two American citizens, Jonathan Lehrer and Robert Snyder, were formally charged with the murders of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand a few days after the bodies were discovered. The hearing only lasted a few minutes and the two suspects were not required to enter a plea at this time. They must return to court in spring 2024.
With information from Charlotte Dumoulin