CHPC Committee Report
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Culture and its expression is one of the defining characteristics of all societies. We do not judge societies only by the way individual humans are treated; we also judge them on the basis of their contributions to the sciences, literature, music, song and film.
Over the past 80 years Canadians have developed a sophisticated set of support programs for athletic achievement, research and development, poetry, plays, novels, music and television. In more recent decades a series of initiatives have been designed to help support the Canadian feature film industry.
Feature film, a cultural innovation of the late 19th century, is one of the most important expressions of culture. It has also been one area where substantial success has proved elusive for Canadian creators. In recent times, however, there have been individual successes and there have been some encouraging signs of improvements in both the French- and English-language markets. But these recent successes have been modest. Much needs to be done to build on these developments.
Previous reports of this committee have noted the importance of cultural diversity for meaningful life in modern societies. As we noted in our 1999 Report, A Sense of Place, A Sense of Being:
“We do not live in ant hills,” … “but in places that mean something.” We derive a sense of place from the landscape, the buildings and the artefacts that surround us. We also impart meanings, and in doing so each of us plays an active role in enriching the culture of the places where we live. (p.10)
As we further noted in our 2003 Report, Our Cultural Sovereignty: The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting:
it is undeniable that “our stories” are important and that they need to be told: in part, for public interest reasons recognized as early as Aird1 and in part because it would be an odd country if our stories were not told. (p 164)
The richness and diversity of culture strengthen us all. Film and documentaries are critical elements of that diversity.
| 1 | Report of the Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting, Sir John Aird, Chairman, 1929. |