Léa Pool, Patricia Rozema, Atom Egoyan

In the context of Québécois Directors & Toronto New Wave

The Québécois Directorswe’ve had so far

1. Montreal vu par: 1. Jacque Leduc (1941 -

(“Canvas of Time”),2. Michel Brault (active si

nce 1950s, "The Last Game“),

3. Denys Arcand (1941 -) (“View from Elsewhere”)Written by Paule Baillargeo

n –nostalgic

1. 2.

3.

The Québécois Directorswe’ve had so far (2)

Night Zoo Jean-Claude Lauzon (1953-1997) –father-son love

The Québécois Directorswe’ve had so far (3)

Robert Lepage (1957-) born in Quebec city;

Le confessionnal, Nō – father-son love, guilt from the past

(source)

The Québécois Directorswe’ve had so far (3)

All men;

All having to do with national identity (some symbolically);

Not many non-French or visible minorities

The Québécois Directorswe’ve had so far (3)

“La Sarrasine” Paul Tana (1947- ): Moved to Canada at the age of 11, after finishing elementary education.

his other films also on Italian immigrant experience in Canada. “So it could be that those types of themes make it problematic for me to get financed. But the reality is that my films did not make money,that is the problem, and that is why I do not make many films.”

source

The Québécois Directorsanother outsider

Léa Pool (1950 -) : a Swiss-Jewish immigrant; born in Switzerland,.

Arrived in Québec in 1978.

source

Paule Baillargeon

Pool as an Outsider

Themes: her existential vision of alienation, lack of mother, uncertain sexual identities

“I feel much closer to Patricia Rozema and Atom Egoyan than to Denys Arcand,'' she acknowledges.

(“The creative land: Canadian artists plumb the nation's heart and soul. (five artists' perspectives” Maclean's. Johnson, Brian D.; Steele, Scott; Hluchy, Patricia; 07-01-1994 )

Pool on ReferendumIn the event of a referendum, she says, "I have a greater inclination to say Yes, because it's important to give us our place.'' Yet Pool has qualms about nationalism. "Frontiers bother me. I'd rather open up than close things down. So it's neither a Yes, nor a No with eyes closed. It has a lot to do with how and when the question is posed.'' And if Quebec becomes independent, she wonders if that might rob its artists of their raison d'etre. Creativity comes from the lack of something. If there is no need to defend anything, there isn't the same drive to create.''

English Canadian Films

1. Multicultural in 1990’s.

Sriniva Krishna’s Masala (1991)

Deepa Mehta’s Sam & Me (1991)

Mina Shum Double Happiness (1994).

Clement Virgo Rude (1995).

Started with Atom Egoyan’s Next of Kin (1984).

Ontario/Toronto New Wave

2. From Art-House to popular theatreYoung Toronto-based filmmakers starting in 1980’s,Rejected both Hollywood films and their “tax-shelter” predecessors. “urban, intimate, underdog, migrant. Educated and art-fueled. Not political. Not commercial. ” (Cameron 10) Two breakthroughs: “Mermaid” (1987) & “Exotica” (1994)

Ontario/Toronto New Wave

Left to Right: David Cronenberg,

Don McKellar (writer/actor/director), Patricia Rozema, John Greyson, Ron Mann, Bruce McDonald, Atom Egoyan

Rozema

Born to a Dutch immigrant family in southern Ontario;

B.A. with double major in philosophy & English literature.

RozemaMansfield Park (1999) "Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach" (1997) Bach Cello Suite #6: Six Gestures (1997) When Night Is Falling (1995) Montréal vu par... (1991) (segment "Desperanto") White Room (1990) I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987) Prix de la Jeunesse from Cannes + 17 awards

Passion: A Letter in 16mm (1985)

Rozema on being Canadian. . . It’s a country of immigrants, as opposed to America, which has an image as a melting pot. We have the image of a mosaic. My parents are from Holland. That’s more a part of my identity than being Canadian. A Dutch, Calvinist background, and I went to Dutch, Calvinist school from grade school through college. I went to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for several years.

Atom Egoyan

Born in Egypt, of Armenian descent.

Moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1963, rejecting his root and refusing to speak the language.

a college student in U. of Toronto, reconfirm with his own ethnic background.

Atom EgoyanBlind Assassin, The (2002)Felicia's Journey (1999) "Yo-Yo Ma Inspired by Bach" (1997) TV Series Cello Suite #4: Sarabande (1997) Sweet Hereafter, The (1997) Exotica (1994) Calendar (1993) Montréal vu par... (1991) (segment "En passant") Adjuster, The (1991) Speaking Parts (1989) Family Viewing (1987) Next of Kin (1984)