THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA AND THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD invite you to the premier of TRACES D’UNE HISTOIRE OUBLIÉE ("Traces of a forgotten story") A documentary film about the little-known adventure of the famous Parisian furriers and fur traders, Revillon Frères,in the Great Canadian North (mainly in French) Wednesday, January 26, 2000 at 8 p.m. in the Auditorium of The National Archives of Canada 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa Admission is free

The past never ceases to shed light on the present; a case in point is Lara Fitzgerald’s fascinating documentary film, which tracks Parisian furriers and fur traders, Revillon Frères, across the Canadian North at the beginning of the twentieth century. Notes scribbled in the yellowed pages of a journal, a letter turning up unexpectedly, photographs tucked away in piles of dusty old papers, such were the fragments from which the saga of Revillon Frères was recreated.

The venture of Revillon Frères came to an abrupt end in 1936 when they were bought out by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the rival which Revillon had wanted to overthrow. The Hudson’s Bay Company thus remained the only fur trader to leave its mark in the history books in spite of the fact that Revillon Frères financed the famous movie Nanook of the North, produced by Robert Flaherty .

Yet the Canadian epic of Revillon will not be forgotten. In the anecdotes retrieved from archives, in the recollections and revelations of the few witnesses to this forgotten story, in the words of Revillon descendants and in its reconstruction by specialists who share a passion for the smallest artefact, new light has been shed on a string of official events, and a world we thought long gone has come to life.

Come see the film and meet the producer, Lara Fitzgerald, who will give an overview of it. After the screening, she will be joined for a question period by Martha Flaherty, grand-daughter of Robert Flaherty, Gwyneth Hoyle, a historian with a special interest in the Revillon family, and Victorin Chabot, of the National Archives, all three of whom are interviewed in the film. Simultaneous interpretation will be available during the question period.

For further information:

Guests: (613) 992-9359
Media: (613) 947-1498 (media@lac-bac.gc.ca)

National Film Board