The older ones will surely remember this answering song sung by Pierre Daignault.
The question posed by Conrad Gauthier, the author of the lyrics, has never been so topical. Once Bill C-11 (the online streaming bill) is passed in the House of Commons (expectedly by the end of the month), one of the CRTC’s first jobs will be to determine “what “Canayen” is or isn’t.” .
The case is not as simple as one might imagine, and it has serious material and cultural consequences.
Take the feature film Until Decline aired on Netflix. Physically it couldn’t be more “Canadian”: the screenplay’s three writers are from Quebec, the director Patrice Laliberté is from Quebec, all the actors and craftsmen are pure Quebecers, and filming took place in the Laurentians and in Lanaudiere. As an icing on the cake, the actors dubbed the film into English themselves and managed to keep their heavy Quebec accents. So ! Under current Canadian certification rules, Till The Decline is not a “Canadian” film as the “copyright” is held by Netflix, an American company.
The first rule for a program or film to be considered Canadian is that the producer must be Canadian. That’s not all. At least the director or screenwriter and one of the two people playing the leading or supporting role must also be Canadian. Finally, at least 75% of the costs must be paid to Canadian workers and Canadian companies.
THERE ARE POINTS
The director and screenwriter are worth 2 points each, the two main actors are each worth 1 point, as are the set designers, cameramen, music composers and cutters. The CRTC established the score in 1984. A film or series must score six out of ten to qualify for tax credits.
With the new broadcasting law, digital giants like Netflix will be forced to produce Canadian original content within a year or two. They don’t have to tell you that their obsession is to give up all or part of their ownership rights (copyright) to the film or series they are going to produce.
On the other hand, many Canadian producers, artists and craftsmen would like to see the “copyright” regulations relaxed so as not to lose the good jobs that the digital giants could get them.
BUTTER AND BUTTERMONEY
Especially in English Canada they want the butter and the money for the butter. The Toronto and Vancouver studios are occupied wall to wall by the American giants. We are even preparing to build a new cinema city in Marham near Toronto. A project worth more than a billion.
The production we do there is three-fourths American.
Warner, Discovery, Netflix and the other giants take advantage of our weak dollar and generous tax credits for the Canadian workers they hire. It’s sad to write, but more than an artist and more than a craftsman don’t give a damn whether what they produce is “Canayen” or not, as long as they don’t lose a lot of money. To hell with culture if it has to cost something!
