Louis Mercier: Black On Film

Louis Mercier: Black On Film
By Ryan B. Patrick
Pride Entertainment Writer
Pride News Magazine
March 22, 2006

In film parlance, the term “mise-en-scène” refers to almost everything that a filmmaker puts into the composition of the film shot, including the movement of the camera and characters, lighting, set design and overall visual environment. Quite literally, it means “put in the scene”.
For Louis Mercier, “mise-en-scene” is everything the young African Canadian filmmaker does and more. The talented writer, actor and producer recently accomplished an extraordinary feat when, not one or two, but three of his short films (Delivering Santiago, Toussaint and Perfect Pitch) were screened stateside, at the recent Delray Beach Film Festival in Florida.
Mercier’s films have been screened in Montreal, Detroit and Toronto, but this is the first time he’s had three films screening at once.
“It’s exciting,” Mercier tells Pride News Magazine over the phone. It’s an honour, as an African Canadian, to have all three films represented at the festival, Mercier says.
He notes that, while he helped produced the shorts, the films were also a collaborative effort. Delivering Santiago and Toussaint were written/directed by Tory Falkenberg, while Perfect Pitch was written/directed by David Eng, and Mercier acts in all three.
By his own accounts, the Haitian-born Mercier has been exposed to the performing arts his entire life. He immigrated to Canada in 1979, and notes it was long hours glued to the television screen that got him hooked on writing and performing.
“Growing up, television was almost like a nanny,” says Mercier. He got his start acting in school plays at the age of nine, which led to auditioning for indie film and working at a community television station.
He initially went to university to become an electrical engineer, while pursuing acting on the side. But the acting bug ultimately took over, Mercier says, and he decided to focus all his attention on the craft.
After a couple of acting gigs, including a prominent role in the Radio-Canada network television series, “Temps Dur”, Mercier eventually created his own production company (Soulion Entertainment) and added writing, directing and producing to his credits, with the short films Toussaint, Aces Down, Eye & I and Delivering Santiago.
Mercier describes the films as character-driven. Toussaint features Mercier as a Haitian-Canadian student who harbors an secret love for a fellow Indo-Canadian student. He is faced with the dilemma of risking humiliation by revealing his true feelings or forever losing her.
“I like to create films that speak out to people,” he says. Of all his films, Toussaint hits close to home, as it’s based on a true event, Mercier says.
One of many events in a decade’s worth of professional film and video experience, in front of and behind the camera.
“I’m primarily an actor…that’s where my passion lies,” Mercier says. So, in an industry where there is a distinct lack of roles for African Canadian actors, Mercier decided to branch out into producing in order to create his own opportunities. “Early on, I found out that, in order for me to be in front of the camera, I had to start projects from behind the camera,” says Mercier.
In addition to acting and producing, Mercier is adding the hat of director to his portfolio, and he notes that Soulion Entertainment intends to produce feature films, television programming, documentaries and stage productions designed to educate and entertain, while giving a much-needed voice to people of colour.
It’s a dog-eat-dog film world in Canada right now, Mercier says, adding, “I’m trying to show the cats in the industry that I’m a force to be reckoned with, and to take charge of my career.”