Evidence of meeting #42 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was films.
A recording is available from Parliament.
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Executive Director, Movie Theatre Association of Canada
—in many different sections such as retail, food preparation, etc.
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Director, Movie Theatre Association of Canada, and Chief Legal Officer, Cineplex Entertainment LP
I imagine that for a number of your kids, their first job may have been in a movie theatre.
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Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gord Brown
Thank you. We're going to move on to Mr. Nantel,
Mr. Nantel, you have the floor for seven minutes.
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NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I must admit that I am extremely disturbed by Mr. Guzzo's comments.
I can't believe that you are still making this incredible plea and that you are outright questioning the very thing that definitely contributed to creating a cultural industry, a heritage. For you, perhaps that does not mean box office sales, but that has certainly contributed to creating a cultural industry, a heritage. Even yesterday evening, at the Artis Gala, we saw an extremely vibrant culture.
I am speechless when I hear how you see things and how you hope that the Quebec film industry can produce a series of films such as Les Maîtres du suspense. I imagine that this film made you smile and had you drooling in anticipation of the prospect of selling tickets and popcorn. I understand that. It is a business people appreciate and I support it as well. Particularly in Quebec, the cultural community has occasionally chosen to make light movies because we all need some family fun. That's what film is usually about.
Mr. Guzzo, I am asking you to answer in French because you can. How do you back up what you just said in terms of filmmakers preferring to make auteur films when they should be making blockbusters?
This film tradition comes from the National Film Board. It has brought standing ovations for Mr. Melançon when he shared his career, the career of his predecessors and of those before him. He was clearly referring to Xavier Dolan, whom you must have met on many occasions. There is a success like Mommy. In Mr. Dolan's case, there has been almost no evolution (progress), but it's true that it is an exception. Mr. Dolan's producers made Diego Star, for example. For you, I imagine that was not the best box office moment. This expertise leads to auteur films that make Quebec renowned internationally and gives our directors a chance to work abroad and to make other masterpieces. I am thinking of Jean-Marc Vallée or Pierre Falardeau. This approach is one of planting a seed, development and culture.
This is the second time I have to say this. Last week, I had to remind members that this is the heritage committee, not the retail industry committee. We are here to talk about culture. Your plea seems to me counterproductive.
How do you explain the success of the film Mommy if not through auteur cinema?
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
I will explain it very simply.
You spin a coin and you decide which films you will fund, then you take your chances by doing an auteur film nine times out of ten. Now you are trying to tell us that this is only what Quebec artists want to create, but you are mistaken.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
I listened to you, now it's your turn to listen to me.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
As I said, several commercial films are also cultural. As you know, the “culture” is a big word in Quebec. We really like that word. We say it so often that we will soon be saying that poutine is cultural. We will try to justify it by saying that selling poutine at McDonald's is a cultural act. That's what we are starting to say. The truth is that Les Boys is a cultural film.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
The Elvis Gratton movie was a message from Mr. Falardeau. He also sent another message when he was asked why he had made that film and answered that he too had to eat.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
In other words, he needs to make money. You want experimental films in terms of development? That's great, but let's find a balance. It might be possible to do something that respects our Canadian and Quebec culture, but I would appreciate it if, some day, a filmmaker would tell me what exactly Canadian and Quebec culture is, in a North American context.
Hockey and some really clear things are cultural, but the rest is not necessarily cultural. The fact that a film is produced in French is cultural, but it is one of two versions. Do you understand?
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NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Mr. Guzzo, in my last minute, could you answer my question about the movie Mommy?
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
Yes, it is very simple. You see Mommy as a great success.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
Mommy caught people's attention because of Cannes Festival. Bear in mind that this film was mentioned around the world because of that. However, it generated less money than the movie 1987, which was not nominated anywhere. However, Quebeckers, taxpayers, who are part of Quebec culture, decided to get up, step outside and go see that film.
What I am trying to tell you is that, in the name of culture, we should not be disrespectful toward those who make up the public and are part of your culture, in other words your average Quebeckers, who want to see 1987 and did not choose to go see Mommy.
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NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Absolutely. I think 1987 is a perfect example. The movie 1981 was actually even better, which is often the case with the first movies that are pure juice extracted from the author. Those movies are actually a happy marriage of relevance, in the sense that they bring together heritage, identity and accessibility. That is the issue. It is an important key.
The same goes for music. Film is a more expensive art, but one thing is certain, when I hear you say things like that, I feel that I am listening to a manager from Costco who doesn't give a darn about what is on his shelves and just wants to sell the products regardless of their origin. There is no consideration for the local community in what I am hearing here. We have our unique characteristics. We don't do business in culture as we do with lawnmowers.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
Unfortunately, I'm sorry, but that's pretentious coming from someone who likes playing with the word “culture”.
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Vice-president, President, Association des propriétaires de cinémas du Québec, Cinémas Guzzo
The Americans were not embarrassed to make money with Hollywood, which represents their culture. They are not any less focused on culture.
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NDP
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC
Clearly, we are talking about cultural diversity. As I listen to you, we can see a big steamroller going all over the world.
