"I can sometimes take a bit of a dismissive tone towards the Canadian film and TV industry. I've been known to sometimes be a bit critical on the basis of that it's kind of not real. You know. It's sort of like this weird thing where we just make film and TV whether or not anyone watches it and it's funded by the government and it's not really that good, usually. And it's sort of just detached from the usual system of making things so people might watch them and enjoy them. And then you make money off of them and the critics say things about them and maybe you make more of them if they're good. And it's seems like we got this whole other thing where we make them 'cause it's nice to make them." — Jesse Brown, Canadaland; April 29, 2021
We like Jesse Brown and Canadaland. We love the content of criticising Canadian media with a thoughtful and insightful approach.
This makes what Brown said all the more interesting on Canadian film in the recent podcast.
Brown is above average intelligent yet he said what many English Canadians feel about Canadian film. Why are we doing this, making films that no one knows they exist and we don't get a chance to see.
The irony was that Brown had this take in the middle of noting Mongrel Media's new streaming service in Canada. Brown got the concept of "Canadian Netflix" from The Globe and Mail article. Brown noted that you could check out films from the local library and not pay $6.99/month for the service.
We should let Brown and others know that Mongrel's service is for art films and independent films from around the world, most of them not from Canada. The only Canadian film noted in the article was Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz, which is a rather awesome Canadian film.
Emilie Nicolas, Canadaland’s French language media correspondent, was the co-host on that episode. Nicolas pointed out how Canadians don't take enough advantage of the National Film Board (NFB). Brown pointed to the documentaries available and seemed to point out with pride that Canada is known for those types of films.
This falls into another casual observations about English Canadians and Canadian film: Canadians can make documentaries. This is true but sets a limit, as in Canadians can't do feature films.
We were quite surprised Nicolas didn't point out the thriving Quebec film market. French Canadians don't have these woes about Canadian films.
Celebrating National Canadian Film Day 2021
Canada Now has gone digital to bring Canadian film into the United States
Telefilm Canada presents the Canadian Movie of the Week
Canadian film notebook: Marketing Canadian films as not Canadian
Trying to find the quintessential Canadian film
Brown might be justifiably confused by a few factors about Canadian film. Made | Nous promotes film and television shot in Canada, even if not Canadian. There are many films technically Canadian that don't look, act, or sound Canadian. We know Funny Boy and 14 Jours, 12 Nuits are Canadian but most people could be convinced otherwise.
Some Canadian films might seem too Canadian: horror films, slacker films, Trailer Park Boys.
Brown praised the Mongrel Media effort to "go direct to consumers and give people choices and try to engage them on the basis on the content itself and not the flag waving of CanCon."
Brown is absolutely right about one very important issue: You should not see a film because it's Canadian. You also shouldn't reject a film you might like because it's Canadian.
The beauty of the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards is to showcase films from around the world. Most countries outside the United States have arts funding from their governments to make films.
As we noted during our 2021 Oscars coverage, other countries are rising to the occasion. Tunisia and Romania made the Top 5 for the first time ever and only the second film from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Honeyland (North Macedonia) was the first documentary to receive a nomination in both categories (Best Documentary, Best International Feature Film) in 2020. Canada needs to do better to be in the fight.
Brown and others might look at the Canadian Screen Award nominations this year and scratch their heads. They could have watched some of them at TIFF 2020 on their computers (Beans). They also include Canadian films such as French Exit and The Nest, neither of which seem very Canadian.
Top 10 best Canadian films in the 2010s
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
How do we appeal to Brown's sensibilities? We want him to find Canadian films that he might enjoy without him seeing them because they're Canadian. No hometown or home country advantage.
Black Cop is about race and the police, something he cares about. He might enjoy the trilogy of Highway 61, Roadkill, and Hard Core Logo from Bruce McDonald filled with Canadian music. He might love or hate Xavier Dolan's French-language work, but Brown might have more respect as a result. He might like the take in female-dominated films such as Mouthpiece and Into the Forest from Patricia Rozema.
If nothing else, Bon Cop, Bad Cop and The Sweet Hereafter may be all he can handle. Our Top 10 Canadian films of the 2010s might not conform to his taste but offer a few good examples.
Our goal is to point out good and bad films that fall within the Canadian label. You don't have to love some or most Canadian films; just have an open mind to a Canadian film you might enjoy.
To find the specific conversation, go about 16 minutes into the Canadaland episode.
photo credit: Take This Waltz film
Comments