Journey to Oblivion: The Empress of Ireland Story (Abridged Version)

20011 h 20 min 22 secFilm: Documentaire

Réalisation: Alain Vézina

Production: Michel T. Prévost

Scénarisation: Alain Vézina

Produced by Merlin Films Enr.

Ce titre est une acquisition.

On the night of May 29, 1914, the St. Lawrence River became the site of a terrible tragedy: the luxury liner Empress of Ireland, carrying 1477 people to Liverpool, collided with the Norwegian ship Storstad.

In only fourteen minutes, the Empress, a Canadian Pacific ship, slipped beneath the waves. At the final count, 1012 passengers and crewmembers drowned or froze to death, in icy waters only a few miles from shore. Most attempts at evacuation failed, due to the vessel's extreme list, which also made it nearly impossible to launch any lifeboats. William Clark, stoker, remembered: "The Empress rolled over like a hog in a ditch."

The sinking of the Titanic had occurred two years before, but the Empress of Ireland tragedy was soon forgotten. What happened in the dense fog of that night?

Interviews, animation, archival photos and stunning underwater photography document the story of the Empress of Ireland, from the construction of the ship in 1906 to the Quebec government's decision in 1998 to declare the wreck a protected historic site.

Catégories de sujets


  • Transports > Bateaux et NaviresSécurité maritime
  • Histoire - Canada - 1867-1919 > QuébecTransports
  • Protection contre les accidents > Sécurité aquatique
  • Histoire > Le Canada, 1867-1914
  • Médias > Production de films et de vidéos
  • Santé/Formation personnelle > Solutionner des problèmes et résoudre des conflits

Générique


réalisateur
Alain Vézina
écriture
Alain Vézina
producteur
Michel T. Prévost
directeur de la photographie
Jean-Luc Potvin
monteur
Jean-Luc Potvin
photographie sous-marine
Marc Hardenne
Dany St-Cyr
musique
Réjean Doyon