This is a story about three films set in India, yet all three films are considered Canadian. So in our literally never ending quest to determine what makes a Canadian film Canadian, let's look at these three "Canadian" films.
"Life of Pi" is currently playing in theaters. The story is about a young man who is shipwrecked as his family is moving their zoo from India to Winnipeg in Canada.
The film is based on the book "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, who is French-Canadian. The film is partially shot in Canada and the country is incorporated into the plot, however briefly. Not much in the way of Canadian content, but this is the most Canadian of the three Indian films.
"The World Before Her" opened the 2012 Windsor International Film Festival. The documentary film examines two elements of women in Indian society: the Miss India pageant and a terrorist camp teaching young women to fight.
Nisha Pahuja wrote and directed the documentary, Pahuja is Indian by birth and grew up in Canada. On the screen, though, there is not one centimeter of visible Canadian content. If you didn't know the background of the writer/director, you would never have guessed Canadian.
"Water" was the Canadian nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in the Oscars in 2006, the first non French Canadian film to make the top 5 cut to be nominated. Deepa Mehta adapted the screenplay and directed the film.
Like "The World Before Her," the film has no visible Canadian content. Mehta was born and grew up in India, coming to Canada when she was 23.
"Water" is the final installment of a trilogy from Mehta that included "Fire" and "Earth." "Earth" was nominated by India for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but didn't make the final cut. So if "Earth" was considered an Indian film, why was "Water" considered a Canadian film?
This year's Oscar entry for Canada is another film that has no Canadian presence onscreen. "Rebelle" (English title: "War Witch") is about a female child solider in Africa directed by Kim Nguyen from Montréal. The film has a good shot at making the cut for Oscar contention and received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film.
At least with "Incendies" — another Canadian Oscar nominee that was mostly shot in the Middle East, some of the plot involved Canada and was shot in the country. Not asking for the whole movie, just enough so people associate Canada with the film.
We have to wait and see about Genie Award (Canada's Oscars equivalent) nominations for "Rebelle," "Life of Pi," and "The World Before Her." The Genie awards consider "Earth" and "Water" to be Canadian films. "Earth" was nominated for 3 Genies; "Water" had 9 Genie nominations and won 3 Genies (Best Actress, Seema Biswas; Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography; Best Original Score).
Canada absolutely has a place for immigrant directors to come and have the freedom to tell their stories. Mehta already ran into a lot of controversy with "Fire" and being in Canada made it easier for her to make the film. And we do believe that telling stories of other countries is something Canadian writers and directors, such as in "Rebelle," should also tell.
The fear is that Canadian films, already lost in the world media landscape, are more likely to get noticed if there isn't much Canadian in them. "Monsieur Lazhar" — last year's Oscar nominee from Canada — was shot in Montréal, but also told the immigrant story about coming to Canada from Algeria and the adjustments that get made in coming to a new country.
Canada has plenty of good stories to tell with Canadian actors, directors, writers, producers, and scenery that can't be matched around the world. They just need to tell stories about Canada in Canada.
Photo credit: Jake Netter/20th Century Fox/AP
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