Caroline Martel

Caroline Martel (born 1973) is a French Canadian documentary filmmaker from Montreal, Canada.[1] She holds a role as a Research Collaborator for Cinema Expo67 researching the history of Expo67.[2] Her work has been displayed in museums, such as the Museum of Moving Image. Her installation “Industry/Cinema” was displayed here. Her debut film was Hold the Line (2001).[3] Her documentaries focus on underrepresented topics or people. Martel uses the phrase "Unseen Voice" to describe this choice of subject matter.[4]

## Education[edit]

Martel received a BA in Communications and an MA in Media Studies both received from Concordia University. She is currently completing a PhD in Communications Studies.[2]

## Work[edit]

Hold the Line (2001) was directed by Martel's film debut, produced by the National Film Board of Canada.[5]

The Phantom of the Operator (2004) is a documentary directed by Martel. It won the award for Best Experimental Film at the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival.[6] It shows the role of female telephone operators from years ago. It highlights the necessity and expectation for the operator to greet customers with a friendly and welcoming voice. The film's topic has not garnered widespread attention, the history of the telephone was more documented than those who operated the lines. Martel states this as a reason for her creation of the film, referring to these the operator as the "Unseen Voice". All of Martel's films focus on this idea.[4] The film also explores how these operators were phased out, specifically by computerization.[7] The film is narrated by Pascale Montpetit in a spectral tone, aiming to act as a voice for these operators.[8] Martel created this film using archival footage from old industrial films, no original video material was used.[9]

Wavemakers (2012) is about a unique musical instrument called the Ondes Martenot.[10] It won the award for Music & Film at the Athens International Film Festival.[11] The documentary directed by Martel explores the history of the instrument and it's creator Maurice Martenot. It also retells the story of musicians who use the Ondes Martenot.[10] The soundtrack was performed by Suzanne Binet-Audet on the Ondes Martenot.[12] This is another one of Martel's documentaries to feature archival footage.[10]

## Awards[edit]

* Best Experimental Film, Brooklyn Underground Film Festival (Phantom of the Operator) [6]
* Music & Film, Athens International Film Festival (Wavemakers) [11]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Caroline Martel". Retrieved 2023-11-03.
2. ^ a b "About – Cinema Expo 67". cinemaexpo67.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
3. ^ "Caroline Martel". Retrieved 2023-12-01.
4. ^ a b Supanick, Jim (2012-08-01). "UNSEEN VOICES: Caroline Martel WITH JIM SUPANICK". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
5. ^ "Festival Scope". pro.festivalscope.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
6. ^ a b "The Phantom of the Operator - Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO)". emro.libraries.psu.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
7. ^ The Phantom of the Operator (2004) | MUBI, retrieved 2023-11-03
8. ^ Foundas, Scott (2004-10-13). "The Phantom Of The Operator". Variety. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
9. ^ Boileau, Julia (2008-09-02). "Reconfiguring Found Footage Film". Esse. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
10. ^ a b c "Tënk". Tënk. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
11. ^ a b "Athens International Film Festival (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
12. ^ University, Office of Web Communications, Cornell. "WAVEMAKERS with filmmaker Caroline Martel". Cornell. Retrieved 2023-12-01.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)