Mr. Chair, members of Parliament, allow me to begin by pointing out that Denis Villeneuve, whose name has been frequently mentioned this morning, the director of the film Incendies, who was recently nominated for an Oscar, is an active member of our association, as are Denys Arcand, Xavier Dolan and many others.
So you will no doubt understand our pressing need to defend directors' copyright. You no doubt also understand why we have joined creators across Canada in signing statements denouncing several aspects of Bill C-32.
We are concerned about the impact Bill C-32 would have on the creation of films and audiovisual content in Canada. The combined effect of many exemptions for royalty payments, unclear criteria and the wholly inadequate means proposed to protect content will be to devalue the work of Canadian creators, including directors, across the production line. We've heard that this morning.
We can hardly be surprised if creators eventually seek alternative ways, or countries, to make a living. In attempting to expand free access to cultural content, this bill in fact threatens consumer access to Canadian works that reflect our identity and culture, quite simply because such works may no longer exist. The figures cited to this committee this morning illustrate that point.
It is tempting to draw a parallel between what could happen if this bill were passed and what happened to our American neighbours during the subprime mortgage crisis, which resulted in a global financial meltdown that continues to affect us today.
Content is to the audiovisual and communications industry what loans are to banks. It's our core business. When mortgage loans lost their value, the entire banking system was in trouble. If we devalue Canadian content, the entire Canadian audiovisual and communications industry will be under threat.
But the comparison ends there, since, while loans are a basic, essential and irreplaceable part of the world banking system, Canadian content is just one product among others, one that broadcasters, access providers and content integrators, particularly if they're not Canadian, can easily forego. There is no shortage of international content these parties can offer in return for subscription fees which they can pocket in full.
After spending billions of tax dollars to support Canadian culture and create a homegrown audiovisual industry, it would be sadly ironic if the federal government were to destroy it all by allowing creators to go hungry. We can only imagine what the rest of the world would think.
To return to Denis Villeneuve for a moment, let me ask you this: how can we be so proud of his remarkable achievement and yet, at the same time, be willing to undermine the ability of Canadian creators to continue producing such works?
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage adopted a motion extending congratulations to Denis Villeneuve for the Oscar nomination of Incendies. But did you know that Denis Villeneuve, like Denys Arcand and Xavier Dolan, is not recognized by the Canadian Copyright Act as the author of his film? Even though he's been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The entire world recognizes Denis Villeneuve as the author of Incendies, but the law of his own country doesn't. That's why we feel it's entirely legitimate, logical and urgent that the Copyright Act be reworded to include and name the director as the author of the audiovisual work, just like the screenwriter.
The Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec would like to cooperate fully in updating the Copyright Act, and will do so in the firm belief that individuals create content and that those individuals should reap the economic rewards of their work.
Thank you for your time and attention.