Two bodies discovered in a burned-out car on the Caribbean island of Dominica have been identified through circumstantial evidence as Canadian entrepreneur & philanthropist Daniel Langlois, founder of the animation/VFX software Softimage, and his partner, Dominique Marchand. The couple’s deaths on November 30 are being investigated as a homicide, and four persons of interest have reportedly been arrested in connection to the crime.
In a statement titled “A Tribute to Quebec Visionaries,” the Daniel Langlois Foundation wrote,
“The sudden and tragic death of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand has taken everyone by surprise. In the coming weeks and months, details of the exact circumstances of their passing will be revealed as the Dominican police authorities and justice system proceed to the investigation.
Today, our primary focus is to highlight the extraordinary contributions made by Daniel and Dominique to the people of Dominica. Among them are the development of the eco-friendly complex, Coulibri Ridge, a source of national pride, their outstanding civic commitment through the REZDM (Resilient Dominica Project) Foundation in the island’s reconstruction after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, and Dominique Marchand’s educational efforts with the Humane Society.”
Langlois was born in Quebec in 1957, and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Design from the University of Quebec Montreal. He worked as an animation director for private studios as well as the National Film Board of Canada for eight years, earning global recognition as co-director of the groundbreaking CGI film Tony de Peltrie (1985) and for his work on Transitions, which featured the first stereoscopic 3D computer animation for IMAX, which was presented at Expo 86 in Vancouver.
In 1986, Langlois teamed up with software engineers Richard Mercille and Laurent Lauzon to develop a software aimed at visual artists which would, for the first time, combine modeling, animation and rendering capabilities within one package. The result, Softimage Creative Environments, was introduced to the world of CGI in a demo at SIGGRAPH 1988. The toolkit was soon adopted by major effects and animation studios Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain, and helped bring to life the dinosaurs of Steven Spielberg’s iconic Jurassic Park. Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Loudon Owen told CBC Radio-Canada he estimated that Langlois’s efforts brought at least 10,000 jobs to Montreal and helped establish the 3D animation industry there.
Softimage went public in 1992. The company merged with Microsoft in 1994 in a $130 million, and was later sold to Avid Technology in 1998. In 2008, Autodesk acquired the Softimage brand and 3D technology for $35 million; Avid retained the software’s video-related assets. Over the years, Softimage tech has also contributed to groundbreaking VFX blockbusters such as Titanic, Men in Black, The Matrix, The Fifth Element, The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning animated feature Happy Feet, as well as many 3D video games.
Langlois received many honors throughout his career, including Ernst & Young’s “Canada’s National Entrepreneur of the Year” (1994), a Sci-Tech Oscar for Softimage ‘Actor’ (1997), being named a Knight of the National Order of Quebec (1999) and Officer of the Order of Canada (2000) as well as Personnalité Arts-Affaires of Montreal (2000), and Octas Prize as a Great Pioneer in Information and Communications Technologies. He also received Honorary Doctorates from Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, Concordia University, Université du Québec à Montréal and Ottawa University in recognition of his work in the fields of art, science and technology.
The Daniel Langlois Foundation was founded in 1997. The private philanthropic charitable organization is dedicated to furthering “artistic and scientific knowledge by fostering the meeting of art and science in the fields of technology.” In recent years, Langlois became involved in sustainable industry development and research projects — the award-winning Coulibri Ridge community was part of his research for the hospitality sector. Langlois was given a Meritorious Service Award for his contributions to sustainable development on Dominica’s Independence Day in November.
Not much information about Marchand’s life has been shared in news reports on the tragedy. However, Jacqueline Dupigny, honorary Belgian consul in Dominica, told Radio-Canada: “It always was lovely seeing Daniel and Dominique. Dominique was probably somebody who was probably more open in the public and she had such a warm and friendly personality her smile just lit up a room.”
Simon Walsh, project manager at REZDM, further informed the outlet that a candlelight kayak vigil will be held in honor of the couple later this week.
