In “Just Between You and Me,” journalist Dominic Tardif goes off the beaten path of the traditional interview and takes the time to delve deeply into the journey and work of his guests. Reflections, anecdotes, confidences: these rich interviews are all opportunities to listen to media and cultural personalities open their hearts and express their thoughts. This week: Janette Bertrand
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Episode 4: Janette Bertrand
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Janette Bertrand with podcast host Dominic Tardif
At 98, Janette Bertrand continues her lifelong battle against patriarchy. The warm-hearted rebel welcomes Dominic into her living room to talk about her empathy towards the marginalized, the power of words, death and her desire to live intensely until the end.
Three quotes from our interview
About his empathy
“As I met others, I discovered that I never judged and that in public they knew that I would not judge. I was just trying to understand. But understanding is not judgment. And understanding does not mean agreeing. It’s a beautiful gift that life has given me not to judge, but maybe it’s because I didn’t want to be like that myself. »
About the advantages of age
“The wonderful thing about living a long life is not that you become wise, but that you gain perspective. I always blamed my mother for not loving me, but she wasn’t capable of it, I understand that more and more today. However, at a young age you cannot say to yourself: “I will understand this later.” That is laziness. »
About his friendship with the Abenaki artist Alanis Obomsawin
“Alanis Obomsawin told me: “What you learned in school is wrong.” She was the one who taught me, who opened my mind, who told me: “You stole our land, you wanted to kill us and it is “You didn’t succeed.” I was worried. Worried! I looked at my history books, but that wasn’t what was written. It was the opposite. [Notre prise de conscience par rapport à notre rapport avec les peuples autochtones], that’s a big step forward. »