Canadian Crossing

Steven Guilbeault is the new Canadian heritage minister

The Trudeau Government did an expected cabinet shuffle in preparation for Justin Trudeau's second term as prime minister.

Pablo Rodriguez moves from heritage minister to the government house leader role. The move is considered an upgrade for Rodriguez. Steven Guilbeault, a high-profile Quebec environmental activist, is new to cabinet and will be the new heritage minister.

Guilbeault represents the Laurier–Sainte-Marie riding in central Montréal and was elected for the first time in October. He is a founding member of the Quebec environmental organization Équiterre. Guilbeault is famous for scaling the CN Tower to bring attention to climate change. He would seem well-suited for a climate change portfolio.

Canadian content notebook: Canada Election 2019

2019 Canada election preview

Pablo Rodriguez takes over as Heritage Minister from Melanie Joly

Guilbeault is familiar with Radio-Canada and CBC as a commentator. He would do well to go over the Liberal Party platform to "strengthen the regional mandate of CBC/RadioCanada, so that local stations can broadcast more local news; and require CBC/RadioCanada to open up its digital platform, so that journalism start-ups and community newspapers can access affordable technology to develop and distribute local content."

The new heritage minister might want to consider the platforms of the NDP and Green Party: on this subject, considering the minority government status. As the NDP platform notes: "Public broadcasting has a remarkable legacy of connecting all points of our country – and it needs to have an even stronger future now more than ever to help make sure that Canadians have access to accurate, relevant information no matter where they live."

Guilbeault would be the one that would make a reality out of the Liberals campaign promise of a $200 culture pass for Canadians when they turn 12 years old. The party said the pass would apply to "theatres, museums, galleries, workshops, and other cultural venues and local Canadian content."

Guilbeault is the third heritage minister under Justin Trudeau preceded by Mélanie Joly and Rodriguez.

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The Broadcast and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel will have its final report sometime in January to update the Broadcasting Act. Guilbeault will finish what Rodriguez started.

The "Netflix tax" might be the singular priority for Guilbeault in his new role. Given that Guilbeault is new to the beat, here are some of the priorities we would love to see from Guilbeault:

-- The Netflix tax bounty, if there is a Netflix tax, will go toward TV projects. The Liberals did vow to "continue to support Canadian film by increasing annual funding for Telefilm Canada by nearly 50 per cent a year" and "introduce a new Cultural Diplomacy strategy, with at least one international mission each year to promote Canadian culture and creators around the world." There should be a way to channel more money into the film industry. Streaming services show movies and television.

-- Channel the assistance for Canadian journalism to go to projects that can improve the flow of news and information. Look into how U.S. hedge funds can own "most" of the largest newspaper company in Canada (Postmedia).

-- Develop a federal film ratings system. We've seen the mess in Ontario and noted provinces banning films in the past. Ontario is currently using the British Columbia ratings system guidelines. Start with the BC guidelines and incorporate elements that other provinces are doing well.

Just Ask is a way for Canadian content creators to talk to politicians

We're not sure how successful the Just Ask campaign was in Canada Election 2019. The idea was for those in the business to ask MP candidates about their concerns on Canadian TV, film, and Web content. As we noted, backbenchers don't usually have much of an impact on policy. Guilbeault should sit down with the Just Ask folks as well as other major Canadian content organisations to get a prospective on their concerns and what the Trudeau Government can do to improve the Canadian culture landscape.

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Guilbeault is invited to read our content. We have written a lot of articles on Canadian content, where it is and where it can go. He is bilingual, though French appears to be his first language.

While environment would be a better portfolio, Guilbeault was likely given heritage to ease him into cabinet and not upset Western interests who seem to be always angry. A minority government might not last all 4 years so the Guilbeault era at heritage may not last long. Still, Guilbeault should use the time in heritage to develop solid, long-term solutions on Canadian culture.

photo credit: @s_guilbeault; inkbook Canada (Facebook edition)

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review

The 2019 Windsor International Film Festival was a grand 10-day celebration of Canadian film. We had been critical of the film festival not having enough Canadian films in recent years. This year's version had plenty of Canadian films.

Our 2017 coverage separated out sections for features and documentaries. Our 2019 coverage will be in English, French, and documentaries.

The festival had an outdoor tent on the last 3 days of the festival. WIFF Alley (seen above) commemorated the love of film.

WIFF is now the number one volunteer-run film festival in Canada.

WIFF Announces KUESSIPAN as the Winner of the inaugural Prize in Canadian Film https://t.co/np9avDf4TZ pic.twitter.com/sEmLRk8ItB

— WIFF (@WindsorFilmFest) November 11, 2019

Kuessipan won the WIFF Prize in Canadian Film award. The winning film gets the honour and a $10,000 cash award. This is the first year WIFF has had this award.

Kuessipan won over a rather remarkable group of Canadian films to win the award. My vote would have gone for And The Birds Rained Down but the vote would have been close. The other Canadian film nominees were Antigone; Castle in the Ground; Easy Land; Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind; Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger; Matthias and Maxime; Prey; and Willie.

The jury was comprised of Karen Bruce, Women in Film & Television Toronto executive director; Joshua Riehl, director of The Russian Five; and Isabelle Corriveau, Radio-Canada producer.

2019 Windsor International Film Festival preview

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Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

2019 TIFF preview

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

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There were a number of films that we could not cover during the film festival.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band was the most prominent film. We will cover the film in a separate film review. Lie Exposed and For Those Who Don't Read Me were fiction films that we really wanted to cover. Hope is not high to find either film but we hope for hope.

Other documentaries not reviewed from the film festival were Conviction, Final Offer (1985), Killing Patient Zero, and There Are No Fakes. Co-productions not covered were Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees; City Dreamers; and Toxic Beauty. Other local films not covered were Ghost Artist; Go-Boy! Memories of a Life Behind Bars; Last Call; Prey; The Quick and Dirty (preceded by Finding Feather Hat Guy); and That Is All.

photo credit: me
logo credit: Windsor International Film Festival

Overview English French Documentaries

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review: English

Goalie brings us the saga of Terry Sawchuk, known in Toronto as the last goalie to win a Stanley Cup for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mark O'Brien (Republic of Doyle) takes on the mannerisms of a physically and emotionally damaged human being. The story hit select highlights and lowlights in Sawchuk's life and career, his alcoholism, his obsession with Trader Jack Adams (Kevin Pollak), his rough childhood. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is used throughout the film as a symbol. Joel Thomas Hynes and Jonny Harris make brief appearances. The film skates through a lot, focusing more on drama than the nuances of Sawchuk's life.

White Lie takes us inside the twisted world of Katie Arneson (Kacey Rohl) who is raising money for an experimental cancer treatment in Seattle. Katie spends a lot of time and money working on the backstory to convince people to give her money. Watching a liar is a little too real given the current climate. Watching a bad liar is a bit more fun. She fools her sexual partner but others seem more skeptical, especially her father. Rohl, who is one of the 2019 TIFF Rising Stars, juggles her need to lie without delving too far into her motivations.

Murmur is a brave film from writer/director Heather Young about Donna (Shan MacDonald), who helps out at an animal shelter as community service after a drunk driving arrest. Donna wants to talk with her daughter but can't get her to return her calls. She trades the addiction of alcohol for animals. Donna adopts a very needy older dog from the shelter. The dog and Donna both have murmur issues, hence the title. Soon, Donna finds one pet isn't enough. Young takes us further than we might want to casually go but stays faithful to the character. You might need a shower and a desire to hug your pet when the film is over but the journey is worth the effort. The film is considered docufiction with mostly non-professional actors but doesn't feel like a documentary at all.

Castle in the Ground is proof that Joey Klein has an unique film directing style that makes The Other Half look like Citizen Kane. Like his first film, Klein gives us a hazy world where we can't root for the main characters and don't really know what is happening. The star of The Other Half was mental illness while the star of Castle in the Ground is addiction. The young man helps his mother (Neve Campbell) deal with her pain, then sets down his own road on addiction for reasons that aren't clear. The next door neighbour is intriguing and addicted so they hang out. The film feels like a more amateurish version of Blue Velvet but makes less sense. Klein gives us a key sequence where the audience never learns what happens. Klein noted in the Q&A that Tatiana Maslany was going to be Ana, the female lead, but opted to do Network on Broadway. British actress Imogen Poots is the female lead as a brunette channeling Zooey Deschanel if she was hooked on drugs. Maslany's partner Tom Cullen is also in this film.

Easy Land is the debut film from writer/director Sanja Zivkovic about a Serbian mother and daughter struggling to establish their new lives in Canada. The daughter has to repeat Grade 12. Economic opportunity is a concern for both of them with the mother growing impatient with not being able to do what she can do. The mental illness revelation comes slow, reflecting the impact over time on a mentally fragile person.

2019 Windsor International Film Festival preview

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Acquainted is a film with an intriguing premise about the temptation of meeting someone while in a relationship. The problem is that the new couple has little chemistry, the standard relationships have zero chemistry. The fact that a couple buys a stand-alone house with a huge backyard in Toronto in 2019 without a speck of irony feels really false. The woman in the new couple is supposed to be a plants expert and doesn't say anything when the guy plants new flowers right next to a tall tree with long roots. The female supporting characters, who deserve their own small independent film, are more interesting than any of the primary characters.

Boys vs Girls is a local film that actually has Colin Mochrie in a somewhat prominent role and Kevin McDonald in a small role. The comedy about a camp is set in 1989 and 1990 for reasons that aren't clear. The premise is that the camp has separated genders but is forced to merge the primary genders together. The film takes on a boys vs. girls mentality but switches midstream to uniting to save the camp from closing. Neither direction is that redeeming in the film. The characters are washed out except for the 1-dimensional odd characters (her — tough; him — fat) in the group. Mochrie and McDonald are bright spots but can't do too much with the script.

The Lower Plateau can be viewed as a slacker film with a female protagonist of colour. She is at a crossroads in many avenues of her life, not quite sure where to go. Her main source of income is selling marijuana. Her former music partner Darcy has hit it big without her. The film is brilliant in that the pacing matches someone who is high a lot but problematic if you are not high when watching the film. Odd to watch a film set in Montréal that manages to avoid the French language. Nocturne cafe and The Word bookstore are real parts of the actual neighbourhood. A Montréal Expos hat is added as a nice touch.

photo credit: Goalie film
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers

Overview English French Documentaries

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review: French

Émilie Bierre and Monia Chokri have multiple appearances in the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. Bierre is the shy lead in A Colony, a bully in The Far Shore, and a young camper in love in Genesis. Chokri is the female lead in We Are Gold, the school counselor in Before We Explode, and briefly onscreen in her directorial debut A Brother's Love.

And The Birds Rained Down marks the return of writer/director Louise Archambault (Gabrielle) about 3 old men who live in the forest, an old woman who has been institutionalised for most of her life, and a younger woman wanting to photograph one of the older men. The story deals with relationships, death, and escape from the modern world. Rémy Girard surprises us with performances of Leonard Cohen's Bird on a Wire and Tom Waits' Time. One of the most beautiful films you will see in some time.

A Colony has Mylia (Émilie Bierre) in a world where she is curious about the nearby Abenaki First Nation reserve. Mylia goes to school in a world where hanging out with indigenous people is not so cool. Bullying and peer pressure dominate the plot and Mylia is exceptionally sensitive and quiet. Being a young actor and playing that quiet is a difficult task and Bierre was rewarded with Best Actress at the Canadian Screen Awards. The debut film from writer/director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles also won Best Picture.

Canadian film review: Antigone

We saw Antigone in the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. Given its Oscars status, we gave the film a separate review.

Jeune Juliette is a personal take from Anne Émond on what appears to be an autobiographical story. Juliette misses her mom, who moved to New York City. She started to put on weight after her mom left. Juliette is unhappy with everything in her world. Well, almost everything. Liane is her best friend. Her supportive brother Liam is about to move away. Juliette and Liane clash on an issue and suddenly Juliette feels really alone. Émond struggles a bit more with comedy than her first 3 films, all dramas, but the film tells a really nice story.

Kuessipan is about when friendship is significantly tested. Myriam Verreault adapted the Naomi Fontaine novel about the friendship between Mikuan and Shaniss. They live in Sept-Iles in Quebec, a lot closer to Labrador than southern Quebec. Shaniss then has to move in with her aunt, who lives in Maliotenam, about 14 km from Sept-Iles. Mikuan travels to visit Shaniss often but the relationship is not the same. When they are teenagers, Mikuan wants to be a writer and still lives in a strong family dynamic. Shaniss has a baby and a boyfriend with anger issues. Shaniss is also upset because Mikuan wants to escape and go to school in Quebec City with her white boyfriend. The film's theme and messages transcend the setting. Kuessipan won the initial WIFF Prize in Canadian Film award.

Slut in a Good Way was the pleasant surprise of the film festival. The gender battle that centres around a toy store in a strip mall in Montréal could have gone badly. With the writing from Catherine Léger (Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Screenplay) and director Sophie Lorain, the story becomes a pro-feminist, pro-sex film that perhaps only Quebec and maybe France can produce. Charlotte gains the reputation of being a slut, but refuses to be ashamed, pointing out the contradiction between men and women. The gender battle extends to raising money for their causes, including Bushes for Amnesty International. Marguerite Bouchard shines as Charlotte and Romane Denis as Megane and Rose Adam as Aube are well-drawn, 3-dimensional characters searching for love and lust. Megane is a very visible Montréal Expos fan. The decision to shot the film in black and white adds mystery and sophistication to the film.

Matthias et Maxime marks the Quebec return of Xavier Dolan, who also stars in one of his films, the first since Tom at the Farm. Dolan is Maxime, part of a tight group of guys. Matthias and Maxime end up in student film where they are supposed to kiss. Dolan wisely doesn't show the kiss. The more important part is the aftermath. Maxime is getting ready to move to Melbourne, Australia for a couple of years. Matthias is having trouble reconciling what happened and avoids Maxime whenever he can. The film weaves a lot toward the end, a bit of a surprise for a Dolan film. His film mastery is back from focusing on the yellow lines of the road to characters bringing the conversation back to French when English is introduced to references to Denys Arcand, Les invasions barbares, and Pedro Almodovar. Can't speak for his English language film, which I still haven't seen, but the magic of this film was missing from Juste la fin du monde.

Genesis is the latest film from Philippe Lesage (The Demons), a Best Picture nominee from the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards. The Demons was hard to follow as was this film. Genesis goes back and forth between first love stories. Guillaume (Théodore Pellerin, who also was in The Demons) is a smartass in an all-boys school who discovers he is in love with his best friend. Guillaume's half-sister Charlotte is presumably in her first relationship. The boyfriend talks about an open relationship; Charlotte doesn't want one. She leaves him to date someone else, but thinks about the first boyfriend when things don't go well. The film then has a 20-minute first love story involving the lead character from The Demons, Félix (Édouard Tremblay-Grenier) and Émilie Bierre. Lesage doesn't spend time on the actual relationship between Guillaume and Charlotte so the stories feel separate. The "second film" is more interesting than the "first film" overall. Guillaume's story is way more interesting than Charlotte's because Lesage shows more of his motivations. His public confession and the mini film afterward are worth watching the film.

A Brother's Love marks the directorial debut for Quebec actor Monia Chokri. Sophia (Anne-Élisabeth Bossé, a lookalike for Chokri) and her brother Karim (Patrick Hivon) have a very close relationship. Karim even goes with Sophia when she is having an abortion. They meet Sophia's gynecologist Éloise (Évelyne Brochu). Karim falls in love with Éloise and they start a relationship. The film follows Sophia, who bemoans being overeducated and fat, even if she is neither. Their parents seem happier with each other after they got divorced. The film theme shifted to Sophia trying to find happiness and a possible replacement for her brother's love. The film screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

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We Are Gold is about coming back home to a community that is "celebrating" the 10-year anniversary of a devastating mine collapse. Marianne (Monia Chokri) is a successful musician who is taking a break from her career. Her sister, who is raising their brother along with her teenage daughter, has tensions with Marianne. Marianne gets back together with her former band mates, one a teacher and the other a thief. The awkwardness and tension of the big city life adjusting back adds to the drama. The film has a hilarious poutine scene, a topic that rarely comes up in Quebec films.

The Far Shore explores grief for a mother and 2 daughters after losing the patriarch of the family. Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin (Incendies) struggles to pay the bills, chasing after life insurance that hasn't paid out. Her nautically named daughters Océane (Éléonore Loiselle) and Marine (Maèva Tremblay) have their own struggles. Océane ends up with a much older man while Marine, who skipped a grade, is subject to bullying. Émilie Bierre (A Colony) does an 180 from her award-winning film to play the primary bully. Calling each other capitan hits on the water theme and shows the bond these women have in the fury of the story.

Compulsive Liar is a cute, more profound, thoughtful, and complicated version of Liar Liar from Canadian Jim Carrey. Simon (Louis-José Houde) lives on lies, then finds all the lies have come true all at once. The film never gets too cruel and you get a sense that the actors are having fun with the premise. The film is on pace to be the top grossing Canadian film in 2019 and has already cracked the top 15 of Quebec films all-time.

Before We Explode follows a virgin who is trying to have sex before World War III comes to tiny Baie St. Paul in Quebec. Pier-Luc (Étienne Galloy) sees the world collapsing on television and his friends try to help him out. Director Rémi St-Michel and writer Eric K. Boulianne have a lot of fun with the attacks element of the story. The film drifts between sweet and a bit creepy. The mood is supposed to produce awkward attempts from an adolescent boy but the creepy makes you not root for him to reach his goal. Monia Chokri plays the school counselor. Antoine Olivier Pilon (Mommy) is the tough boyfriend of a girl Pier-Luc wants to be his first. They are enough clever moments in a mostly even film to pick this one.

video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
photo credit: Kuessipan film

Overview English French Documentaries

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review: Documentaries

There's Something in the Water tackles environmental racism through the lens of Ellen Page and Ian Daniel. The film shows us 3 examples from Nova Scotia, Page's home province. They travel to Shelburne, Boat Harbour, and Fort Ellis. We get to see the impact of the damage caused by a dump, paper mill waste, and a gas company potentially releasing salt into fresh water. The title comes from the study by Dr. Ingrid Waldron. Page and Daniel are wise to let the people tell their stories and show the impact of the environmental racism. The only critique is that the film is a bit short and could have used a concluding perspective or an additional story.

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind takes us through the long history of the music of Gordon Lightfoot. This film takes us into the Toronto folk scene of the mid-1960s. Lightfoot develops a friendship with Joni Mitchell and even stays at her Detroit apartment. The film shows the impact of artists covering such classics as Early Morning Rain and Song for a Winter's Night.

The film doesn't forget about The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald but smartly makes the audience wait toward the end. A must for huge Lightfoot fans and a nice primer if you only know the major hits.

Push follows UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Leilani Farha as she travels the world focused on housing as a right, especially in large cities. The documentary also focuses on how some elements of the finance world are making the housing crisis even more horrible in the name of greed. The film tries for a happy ending but shows that your local problem is a global issue.

Willie tells the little-known story of Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL. The film focuses primarily on getting O'Ree into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018. We learn about O'Ree's childhood in Fredericton and how he worked his way through the minor league ranks before playing for Boston on January 18, 1958. The story of an eye injury that affected his career comes way late in the documentary. The richness of black NHL players is briefly spotlighted in the film as the focus is more on O'Ree.

One Day In The Life Of Noah Piogattuk tells the story about a "negotiation" where the Canadian government wants a community to move from its land to a settlement in 1961. The film is a dramatisation of the real story of the conversation. Expect to be more informed than entertained.

Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger profiles Jordan River Anderson from the Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Anderson is born in a hospital in Winnipeg because of complications with the pregnancy. Anderson spends his brief life in the hospital because the provincial and federal governments battle over which entity is responsible for the medical costs after the hospital stay. Jordan's Principle was created to deal with such issues. Like a lot of concerns with indigenous people, the solution doesn't always match the problem. Alanis Obomsawin is back with her 53rd film. You might recall that Obomsawin filmed at Norway House for her 2017 documentary Our People Will Be Healed.

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up explores the story of the death of Colten Boushie, who was fatally shot by a farmer in 2016. Tasha Hubbard goes into the incompetence of the RCMP investigation, the lack of indigenous people on the jury, and the shocking not guilty verdict against the farmer. You don't have to know much about Boushie's story to know about the different standards of justice for the indigenous people. The fact that the family was treated as criminals in the initial investigation screams injustice. Hubbard uses animation to tell parts of the story not easily told. The family struggles to tell Colton's story is a learning tool as they go on TV and eventually meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The film won the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs 2019.

2019 Windsor International Film Festival preview

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I'm Going to Break Your Heart takes us into the creative process with a few arguments of Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk, a husband and wife music team (aka Moon vs. Sun). The film is highly self-indulgent, especially if you aren't familiar with the artists. This felt like watching Let It Be if you didn't know The Beatles. I recommended this film to a friend in the film festival because he is interested in relationship dynamics. The documentary has them in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French islands off the Newfoundland coast. Unfortunately for the audience, they are there in winter so the beauty is sharply limited. The duo performs 3 songs at the end of the film. 

Pipe Dreams could have been about the amazing, complex instrument that is the pipe organ. Unfortunately, the film follows competitors in a pipe organ competition in Montréal. None of the featured competitors were Canadian in this Canadian film. You do get to hear some cool pipe organ music though you could buy a couple CDs and have a better audio experience.

Follow Me is a film that the creators think is a documentary about weight loss. I chose to think of it as performance art where the host thinks the subject is weight loss when the film is really about switching out addictions from food to something else. Otherwise, the film comes across as an infomercial for changing your life. The cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty of Toronto.

photo credit: There's Something in the Water film
video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers

Overview English French Documentaries

Canadian film review: Antigone

Antigone wears a lot of pressure. The Sophie Deraspe film won the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival and is Canada's nomination for Best International Feature Film to the 92nd Academy Awards.

The film is based on the Sophocles' classical Greek tragedy so we think we have some idea where the film is going. The family has immigrated from an unknown Middle Eastern country but smartly doesn't say which one. Their parents die shortly before immigrating to Canada and settling in Montréal. The grandma takes care of the 2 brothers and 2 sisters. Antigone, the youngest, was 3 when they arrived in Canada.

Antigone (Nahema Ricci) as a teenager is the ideal immigrant experience. She is very bright and isn't in trouble. Antigone even meets a white boy.

Then one night the police are chasing Polynice for a parole violation. They come across Étéocle, the older brother, who is holding a smartphone. The police arrest Polynice and shot and kill Étéocle.

The family is devastated. The death of Étéocle and arrest of Polynice is seen from the outside as gang members getting what they deserve. The family views this as both brothers disappearing from the family. Antigone does what she can to save her living brother, making the sacrifice of herself.

Though the story fits the tragedy, the separation of genders points out the temptation of gangs that target males much more than females.

Nahema Ricci is one of the 2019 TIFF Rising Stars. Often, the Rising Stars have a bit of work before they get the honour. Ricci worked on Ailleurs | Squat in 2018. Deraspe reportedly said she wanted novice actors. Ricci shines brightly and Deraspe gets a really fine performance.

Deraspe does really well in incorporating social media and protests to showcase empathy for Antigone.

Most of the film is well done but Deraspe loses control over the film toward the end. The fate of Antigone goes back and forth in ways that are confusing and exasperating for the audience. If you tried to do a flow chart of where the film goes, you will go off the standard paper size rather quickly. The love scene between Antigone and the young white boy provoked confusion and laughter in a scene that didn't have those emotions in mind.

Antigone shows the ties of family and the issues immigrants can have, especially when dealing with the justice system. Deraspe delivers a mostly good film that deserved a bit more editing care at the end. In the light of Bill 21, Antigone is worthy of a conversation in Quebec and hopefully beyond.

Sophie Deraspe's last film with the documentary The Amina Profile in 2015. I saw that film but felt less than satisfied by that film.

Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

2019 TIFF preview

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

Even with a consistent film all the way through and the timely message on immigrants, Antigone likely won't get much notice or attention. The female written and directed film is leaps and bounds ahead of last year's Oscar entry (also female written and directed) and is more enticing than the previous year's entry. Monsieur Lazhar, a film also about the immigrant experience, was a much better film.

The competition is quite tough with Parasite perhaps crossing over to the regular Academy Awards categories.

Canada hasn't made the top 5 since Kim Nguyen’s Rebelle in 2013 and the top 9 since Juste la fin du monde from Xavier Dolan in 2016. Les Invasions barbares from Denys Arcand is still the only Canadian film to win the Oscar in the category. This film should be more prevalent in the conversation but we will wait and see.

Lionheart from Nigeria suggests Academy Awards reconsider language for best international feature film

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My own personal streak extends to the last 16 Canadian entries for the Best International Feature Film to 2003 and The Barbarian Invasions. There are only 3 films missing since Cosmos (1997): August 32nd on Earth (1998); Emporte-Moi | Set Me Free (1999); and Un crabe dans la tête (2002).

These are the nominated films from Canada I've seen before 1997: Mon oncle Antoine (1971); Les Ordres (1975); J.A. Martin photographe (1977); Le Déclin de l'empire américain (1986); Jésus de Montréal (1989); Léolo (1992); and Le Sexe des étoiles | The Sex of the Stars (1993).

The list of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film will be cut to 10 films on December 16.

video credit: YouTube/TIFF Trailers
photo credit: Antigone film

Lionheart from Nigeria suggests Academy Awards reconsider language for best international feature film

Canada submits a film each year for the best foreign language film category, now known as the best international feature film category. The country's English-language films are ineligible since the Academy Awards rules require a primary language other than English. Most of Canada's entries have been in French with noted exceptions such as Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) in Inuktitut and Water (2005) in Hindi.

Lionheart from Nigeria is primarily in English, the official language in Nigeria, and was recently disqualified from the Oscars because the film is primarily in English. This would have been Nigeria's first-ever submission to the best international feature film category. The film does contain the Igbo and Hausa languages. The requirements are for primarily a non-English language film.

Some are crying foul, pointing out that films shouldn't be avoided just because they are in English, especially when the country's official language is English. The United Kingdom and Australia have submitted films in other languages for the Academy Awards, but not in English.

They have a good point. Films should be judged on its merits, not the language used.

There is a reason why the Oscars in particular have used the language restriction. If the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada were allowed to enter English-language films, the category would be dominated by, well, likely the United Kingdom and Australia. If the top 10 cut featured a film from United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, that would leave only 6 slots for foreign-language films. That would be rather unfair to limit slots that increase a film's viability on the world stage. We focus on the top 10 cut and final 5 cut because those films deserve recognition.

English is allowed in the category as long as the film is primarily not in English. Felix and Meira is primarily in Yiddish and French, but also has English, Spanish, and Italian.

The Academy Awards rarely recognize performances and films that aren't in English, hence the previous labeling of the best foreign language film category. Films from United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada that are in English have a chance in the primary categories.

Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for Best Film Not in the English Language spells it out in the title. Canada has had entries that made the final cut but has not won this award: Jesus of Montréal (1990); The Barbarian Invasions | Les invasions barbares (2003); The Triplets of Belleville (2003); and Incendies (2011).

The Cesar (France) award is for Best Foreign Film, regardless of language. All but one of the Canada entries that made the final cut have been in French but that isn't a requirement. Mommy (2015) is the only Canadian film to win the Cesar. Other Canadian entries are Eastern Promises (2008); I Killed My Mother | J'ai tué ma mère (2010); Heartbeats | Les amours imaginaires (2011); Incendies (2012); Laurence Anyways (2013); and It's Only the End of the World | Juste la fin du monde (2017).

Canada would benefit from a language change. The move might even give English Canadian films a new chance to be discovered on the world stage. Then again, most years the Canadian entry would still be in French. Canada has an unique situation given the dual languages, one of them being English.

Changing the category name from best foreign language film to best international feature film does infer that language is no longer an issue. The rules should apply across the board to protect smaller countries from dominant English-language films even if that means denying English-language films from smaller countries.

Vulture’s Nate Jones notes that the Oscars "trophy has gone to a European country 83 percent of the time, a ratio even the most Fellini-adoring cinephiles might admit is a little overboard." The question is how Lionheart and other such films can get that recognition from the Academy Awards.

The list of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film will be cut to 10 films on December 16.

video credit: YouTube/EB VideoClips Trailers
photo credit: Felix and Meira film

What Canadian film can learn from Jojo Rabbit?

Most people didn't know of Jojo Rabbit before the film won the People's Choice Award at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Surprise and puzzlement were the primary emotions. After all, the People's Choice Award had become a bellwether for Oscar contenders such as Green Book.

Now, Jojo Rabbit is one of the most talked-about films this fall. The film has had a limited run in theatres in the United States and Canada.

Unlike a lot of American mainstream films but like a lot of Canadian films, Jojo Rabbit has the same writer and director: Taika Waititi, who adapted the Christine Leunens novel for the screenplay.

Waititi, who also plays Adolf Hitler in the film, has been around for awhile with films such as Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows.

Waititi comes from New Zealand, so he knows what it is like to overcome perceptions, similar issues to Canadians.

Canadian film review: The Twentieth Century

2018 WIFF Canadian films in review

Jojo Rabbit shows that an unusual atypical film can be successful. The Twentieth Century, which we reviewed last week, and Level 16 from last fall, are unusual atypical Canadian films.

Marketing and publicity are the pitfalls for Canadian film. Waititi got on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. The film features well-known actors such as Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Rebel Wilson.

We've seen the English-speaking world get excited over Canadian television with Schitt's Creek and Orphan Black. We've seen the French-speaking world get excited over Xavier Dolan films such as J'ai tué ma mère and Mommy.

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We had a Canadian film open the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time in 9 years. Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band got more publicity before the festival. Jojo Rabbit got more publicity after the festival.

Jojo Rabbit also had controversy of sorts with Waititi playing Adolf Hitler. Buffoonish at times but also serious, Waititi appears to play Hitler through the mind of the lead, a 10-year-old boy. You get a better sense of the nuance of Waititi's portrayal once you've seen the film. Getting there may be difficult for some potential movie patrons.

The controversy does keep the film fresh in people's minds, even if they haven't seen the film.

2019 Windsor International Film Festival preview

Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film

Canada does get a chance to get a film on the international stage through the Best Foreign Language Film category. Canada has squandered that opportunity in the last 2 cycles. We will weigh in soon on Antigone, the entry for the next Academy Awards.

Perhaps we are being too unfair. Canada makes quieter films — good, bad, and okay. Canada might not be able to make a film as loud and brash and yet as sweet as Jojo Rabbit. You don't need Adolf Hitler to draw attention to a film.

The good news is that films such as Jojo Rabbit show that awkward, unusual films can break through, even if they are Canadian. Canadian films can utilise the home-field advantage that is the Toronto International Film Festival. Imagine a year where the People's Choice Award goes to a Canadian film and then people in the United States talk about that film as if the film is one of their own.

photo credit: Jojo Rabbit poster
video credit: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah/Comedy Central

Canadian film review: The Twentieth Century

Our exclusive premiere of the international trailer for Matthew Rankin’s THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, which points to a bold new direction for Canadian cinema. Read @ethanves' #TIFF19 review: https://t.co/lRckZXJMn9 pic.twitter.com/WfPe3gIn0O

— The Film Stage 📽 (@TheFilmStage) September 8, 2019

Truth and fiction blurring about a Canadian prime minister might be more appropriate to the recent Canada election 2019, but applies to The Twentieth Century, Matthew Rankin’s take on Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

Rankin, who is from Winnipeg, applies a similar style to Guy Maddin, Winnipeg’s best known filmmaker.

Rankin has a bit of fun in the competition to be prime minister, a mix of reality show and the Olympics. Events include baby seal clubbing, peeing in the snow, ribbon cutting, and competitive waiting.

Arthur Meighen, who was briefly prime minister before King and a few months in 1926, appears as a character. Henry Albert "Bert" Harper, a real-life friend of King, also is in the film.

King served as prime minister of Canada from 1921–1926, 1926–1930, and 1935–1948. The film takes place in 1899, leading into the twentieth century.

The large cactus explodes. There is a bit of gender bending. There is a English-French battle complete with an ice maze.

Dan Beirne plays King as being into sniffing footwear, among a number of insecurities and issues. The cast is largely unknown, at least to me. Catherine St-Laurent, who plays a harpist that King somehow keeps mistaking for a trumpet, was in Tu Dors Nicole and Bon Cop Bad Cop 2.

The film takes us to Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City, Winnipeg, and Vancouver (above), even if we aren’t in any of those places. The sequence that takes us from Bloor (Toronto) to Rideau Hall (Ottawa) is a single-lane, very quick train between the two cities that is more remnant of a ski lift.

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

There is a lot on screen. If you do view this film in a streaming or similar fashion, pause and absorb is a smart way to go. A quick joke about J.G. Diefenbaker ladies undergarments store, which King buys for his mother (played by a man), can get lost otherwise. (Diefenbaker was prime minister from 1957-1963).

You don’t have to know Canadian history to enjoy the film. If you know quite a bit of Canadian history, you would get more out of the film. The Twentieth Century has a gorgeous visual sense with a lot happening. The story is told in 10 chapters that follow a linear path, despite a few distractions. We are as “sure as a winter’s day in springtime” about The Twentieth Century.

The Twentieth Century won the Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

Twitter capture: @TheFilmStage
photo credit: The Twentieth Century

2019 Windsor International Film Festival preview

The 2019 Windsor International Film Festival will reverse the trend of fewer Canadian films at the festival. The 2019 version has an advantage with extra time: a 10-day festival to celebrate its 15th anniversary.

The festival will feature Canada's entry for Best International Feature Film (Antigone); both of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival major debuts (A Brother's Love, Matthias et Maxime); French-Canadian Best Picture contenders from the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards (A Colony; Genesis); and the opening night of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival (Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band), which is the closing night film in Windsor.

Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band from director Daniel Roher has a Windsor connection since Windsor native Stephen Paniccia was a producer on the film. Most of the opening and closing night films in this festival are not necessarily Canadian. Trigger was the 2010 closing night film.

The list includes some TIFF 2019 favourites including There's Something in the Water; White Lie; And The Birds Rained Down; Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger; and Murmur.

Canadian film review: Fall of the American Empire

The newest Denys Arcand film The Fall Of The American Empire is also playing. We reviewed the film earlier this year.

The Canadian film total had gone from 31 (2016) to 20 (2017) to 16 (2018). The 2019 version has 35 regular films, 5 co-productions, and 8 local films.

The 2019 version is much longer with 10 days in film so the numbers should increase.

WIFF is having its initial Prize in Canadian Film award. The prize will be announced on closing night. The film will get the honour and a $10,000 cash award.

The film winner will be chosen by an external jury that includes director Joshua Riehl (The Russian Five).

The festival also got funding from the province of Ontario to the tune of $50,000.

These are the Canadian film contenders for the Prize in Canadian Film award:

And The Birds Rained Down; Antigone; Castle in the Ground; Easy Land; Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind; Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger; Kuessipan; Matthias and Maxime; Prey; and Willie.

Antigone is Canada's entry to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film

2019 TIFF Rising Stars

2019 TIFF Canadian film wrapup

2019 TIFF preview

2019 TIFF Canadian film preview

Here is the list of regular Canadian films coming to WIFF 2019:

• Acquainted
• And The Birds Rained Down
• Antigone
• Before We Explode
• A Brother's Love
• A Colony
• Compulsive Liar
• Conviction
• The Fall Of The American Empire
• The Far Shore
• Final Offer (1985)
• Follow Me
• For Those Who Don't Read Me
• Genesis
• Goalie
• I'm Going to Break Your Heart
• Jeune Juliette
• Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger
• Killing Patient Zero
• Lie Exposed
• Matthias et Maxime
• Murmur
• nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up
• Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
• One Day In The Life Of Noah Piogattuk
• Pipe Dreams
• Slut in a Good Way
• There Are No Fakes
• There's Something in the Water
• We Are Gold
• White Lie

2018 Windsor International Film Festival preview

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Co-productions are Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees; City Dreamers; Push; Toxic Beauty; and Willie.

Local films are Boys vs Girls; Ghost Artist; Go-Boy! Memories of a Life Behind Bars; Last Call; The Lower Plateau; Prey; The Quick and Dirty (preceded by Finding Feather Hat Guy); and That Is All.

The 2019 Windsor International Film Festival runs extra long to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The festival runs November 1-10.

logo credit: Windsor International Film Festival