With multi-screen cinema and electronic music playing a significant role in many of the pavilions and exhibits at Expo 67, Ian Helliwell’s film attempts to capture the experimental and imaginative essence of the Montreal Expo through a synthesis of sound, image and collage.
The idea for this project was originated in 2006 to coincide with the impending 40th anniversary; conceived as a radio programme, an audio piece was created over 6 months the following year, and in 2009 the idea took shape to make a visual collage to fit the soundtrack, using only still images.
The composer Tristram Cary (1925-2008), who made a number of electronic works for the British Pavilion at Expo 67, had generously made his recordings available, as well as a collection of 35mm slides he took at the site as the expo was under construction. Hundreds of scans of archive photos, slides, brochures, books and magazines make up the film, which takes the viewer on an impressionistic 21 minute audio-visual journey through some of the stunning features of the remarkable and hugely popular World’s Fair.
No print in distribution
