I love films from around the world. I have seen films from countless number of countries from nearly every continent. I have been to at least three different international film festivals.
And I find myself, more often than not, coming back to how much I love Canadian films.
Now when people think of Canadian films, they tend to draw a blank. Was "Juno" a Canadian film? Those who follow the Oscars might remember "Barbarian Invasions," which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film in 2004.
And you could argue that I like Canadian film because, well, I like Canada. Well, that's true. But there is a sensibility about Canadian films that fits my sensibility.
You should know that Canadians don't perceive their film industry as being substantial. Some of that stems from constant exposure to American media, and, mostly in Toronto and Vancouver, watching U.S. films and TV being created in front of their eyes.
There is the Vancouver sensibility as captured by "Everything’s Gone Green," the Maritimes with "Marion Bridge," even the Winnipeg stylings of Guy Madden in "The Saddest Music in the World."
In the past few years, I've enjoyed "Breakfast with Scot" and "The Sweet Hereafter" and directors Atom Egoyan, Denys Arcand, and Don McKellar.
This isn't to say that I blindly love every Canadian film. But they are better than you might think.
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