Tribute in Montreal for film entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and spouse Dominique Marchand

A public tribute was held in Montreal on Sunday in honour of Quebec film entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his spouse, Dominique Marchand, who died under suspicious circumstances last month in the Caribbean.

The site of the former Excentris cinema, founded by Langlois, will open its doors from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

One of those who attended was Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante.

"It was important for me to pay tribute to Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand who did contirbute to the cultural ecosystem," said Plante. "We're here at Excentris and I have very vibrant and great memories of the Excentris when I first arrived as a young student here at the beginning of the 1990s and I was always here. It was the place to be. To see documentaries. Meet new and cool people. So it was a great place."

A register was available for attendees to sign. For those who could not make it in person, a livestream of the event was shared via Facebook and YouTube.

Langlois founded the Softimage animation company in 1986, used to create special effects in a variety of blockbusters including 'Jurassic Park' and 'Titanic.'

He was a National Film Board of Canada filmmaker and an important member of Montreal's independent arts and film scene, opening the Excentris complex in 1999.

"It is important that we see other films than just the American blockbusters and Excentris made that possible," said former Cinema du Parc owner Roland Smith, who was also in attendance.

In 1997, he started the Daniel Langlois Foundation, which aims to aims to "further human knowledge by supporting artistic, scientific and technological research," according to the foundation's website.

"It is inspiring what they started to protect the idea and the values they have of protecting the environment, sharing with the community and participating in making a difference," said Marchand's friend Jean-Marc Gauthier.

Langlois was named an officer of the Order of Canada, a knight of the Order of Quebec, and has received several honorary doctorates from universities.

"He was an artist to begin with, not a technologist," said his friend Philippe Bergeron. "He mixed the two later on to brilliant results of course."

On Dec. 1, the bodies of Langlois and his partner Marchard were discovered in a burned out vehicle in Dominica, where he owned an eco-resort.

At least two people have been charged in the deaths, Dominica officials reported later that month.

With files from The Canadian Press. 

With reporting from Olivia O'Malley.