Caroline Martel (born 1973) is a

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fren ...

documentary filmmaker from Montreal, Canada. She holds a role as a Research Collaborator for Cinema Expo67 researching the history of

Expo67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...

. 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). Her documentaries focus on underrepresented topics or people. Martel uses the phrase "Unseen Voice" to describe this choice of subject matter.

Education

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.

Work

''Hold the Line'' (2001) was directed by Martel's film debut, produced by the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

. The ''Phantom of the Operator'' (2004) is a documentary directed by Martel. It won the award for Best

Experimental Film Experimental film or avant-garde cinema is a mode of filmmaking that rigorously re-evaluates cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms or alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working. Many experimental films, parti ...

at the

Brooklyn Underground Film Festival The Brooklyn Underground Film Festival was an annual showcase of typically low-budget, under-distributed or amateur videos and metavideos. The festival was initially held in DUMBO, Brooklyn and later moved to Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, N ...

''.'' 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. The film also explores how these operators were phased out, specifically by computerization. The film is narrated by Pascale Montpetit in a spectral tone, aiming to act as a voice for these operators. Martel created this film using

archival footage Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...

from old industrial films, no original video material was used. ''

Wavemakers ''Wavemakers'' (original French title ''Le chant des ondes'') is a 2012 Quebec documentary film about the Ondes Martenot, directed by Caroline Martel. Martel discovered the Ondes Martenot while making her 2004 film, '' Le fantôme de l'opératric ...

'' (2012) is about a unique musical instrument called the Ondes Martenot. It won the award for Music & Film at the

Athens International Film Festival Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

. The documentary directed by Martel explores the history of the instrument and it's creator

Maurice Martenot Maurice Louis Eugène Martenot (; October 14, 1898 – October 8, 1980) was a French cellist, a radio telegrapher during the first World War, and an inventor. Born in Paris, he is best known for his invention of the ondes Martenot, an instrument ...

. It also retells the story of musicians who use the Ondes Martenot. The soundtrack was performed by Suzanne Binet-Audet on the Ondes Martenot. This is another one of Martel's documentaries to feature archival footage.

Awards

* Best Experimental Film,

(''Phantom of the Operator'') * Music & Film,

(

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martel, Caroline Wikipedia Student Program Canadian documentary film directors Film directors from Montreal 1973 births Living people Canadian women film directors