Posted at 1:32am. Updated at 4:00 p.m.
Jay Baruchel, Actor, Screenwriter, Director
Jay Baruchel has been playing since he was young. In 1995 he landed a small role in the popular series Are You Afraid of the Dark? The following year he directed the first of 40 episodes of My Hometown, in which he played the lead character Thomas Thompson. His Hollywood debut soon followed. We see him in 2000’s Almost Famous, among others. However, he struggles to find work in his own country.
“You’re not worth anything in English Canada until you make it in the United States,” says Jay Baruchel. I was in Los Angeles, I had just worked with Clint Eastwood [Million Dollar Baby] which was going to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and the casting managers in Toronto didn’t take me seriously enough to audition. »
Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder, She’s Out of My League, How To Train Your Dragon animated films, and many more have changed the game. “Now I’m 41 and I’ve acted in a lot of stuff that’s made a lot of money in the United States, so they can’t ignore me anymore,” says the man who grew up in the Notre-Dame neighborhood. -Dame-de-Grâce, in Montreal.
“I dream of the day when English Canada becomes like Quebec and realizes that it’s possible to do your own films and your own series and have your own stars. There are exceptions like Trailer Park Boys, FUBAR, Goon, but Quebec’s cultural ecosystem is much healthier. »
Jay Baruchel ends the interview by saying he hopes “it” will help even more and points to the poster for his all-Canadian film BlackBerry, which has just hit theaters.
Chloe Wise, visual artist
PHOTO CHLOE WISE SUPPLIED BY BLOUIN DIVISION
Chloe Wise in the middle of her latest exhibition
Chloe Wise was back in Montreal last March to present her latest exhibition at Galerie Blouin Division. “It’s the city I grew up in, so it’s nostalgic. It’s a place I love and I’m grateful for this city, even if I haven’t spent any real time there in 10 years,” she says on the phone in somewhat broken French. but very clear.
In fact, she has lived in New York for a decade, after stopping in Toronto following her studies at Concordia. The artist, who worked with Kent Monkman, among others, before settling in the United States, noticed the differences between artistic circles as soon as she settled there.
“In Montreal and Toronto, everyone said to me, ‘Take your time, wait your turn, you have to earn it, you have to prove yourself.’ And I understand it’s like that in a lot of places where there aren’t enough opportunities, she explains. But in New York there is so much that is new, so many opportunities. When I arrived, the attitude I caught was, “Welcome, what are you doing?” We’re interested. Show us!” No one needs to know if others like it [ce que tu fais] before i accept you »
“I started doing exhibitions and two months after arriving in New York my Canadian gallery invited me to an exhibition in Montreal. It’s a bit like having New York’s approval to have a chance in Canada. »
PHOTO MORGANE BOULDEN PROVIDED BY BLOUIN DIVISION
Works by Chloe Wise
PHOTO MORGANE BOULDEN PROVIDED BY BLOUIN DIVISION
Works by Chloe Wise
PHOTO MORGANE BOULDEN PROVIDED BY BLOUIN DIVISION
Works by Chloe Wise
1/3
Chloe Wise says the move was easy for her since her mother is American. But it is his talent and originality that really allow him to present his work to the whole world. She will also be attending Art Basel in Switzerland next month.
Dave 1, from Chromeo, musician
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVE
Dave 1 by Chromeo
Alongside Kaytranada, Chromeo was the only Quebecer to be represented at the prestigious Coachella festival in California a month ago. David Macklovitch, aka Dave 1, one half of the funk-electro duo, says over the phone that taking part five was probably his favorite participation and that it has something to do with the fact that he was among the only ones representing his part of the country .
“There are many things we do that make us proud of our uniqueness, and I hope the Montreal press and public remember that we still consider ourselves emissaries of the city that educated us,” says the singer. For a Jew and a Lebanese to go to a French high school and discover funk by trying out Bouge from there at MusiquePlus would not have been possible without Montreal. »
Dave 1 and Patrick Gemayel, aka P-Thugg, formed Chromeo around the turn of the 2000s with support from Tiga and his Turbo label, but it was David’s subsequent move to New York that allowed the band to make a name for themselves. First appearances in the United States. “Our first album [She’s in Control] came out in 2004 with a deal from an international company so we did shows everywhere. After that, when I was working on the Fancy Footwork album, I was living in Paris. It’s a bit of my travels that helped us become internationally known, but we never felt we lacked support from Montreal. »
That sense of pride and love for his hometown comes through throughout our conversation. “I never wanted to espouse the idea that we have to be internationally known to be recognized in Montreal,” affirms Dave 1. On the contrary, we’ve always tried, in subtle or furtive ways, to pay homage to a Quebec tradition. When we stand in front of the press in Montreal and are asked about our influences, we always say “Les BB”. Patrick Bourgeois is really my idol. For me it’s the Hall & Oates of Quebec. My whole style, even my clothing style, is based on a 1980’s Quebec band called Madame. They’re the first ones I’ve seen with Ray-Bans and Perfectos. »
These influences can be seen at MTelus on October 19th. Chromeo’s new album release date will be announced soon.