CHPC Committee Report

Supplementary Opinion of the Bloc Québécois

As far as we are concerned, there are Canadian feature films as well as Quebec feature films, regardless of the creative language used. This fact must first be acknowledged and the specific characteristics of each must be borne in mind in order to define each industry and devise appropriate solutions.¹

Denying the obvious

Context

To begin, the Bloc Québécois would like to thank all the individuals and groups from Quebec and Canada who appeared before the Committee.  The vibrancy of the various players in the film industry holds out great promise for the future of film in Canada and Quebec.

While the report on Canadian feature film policy recommends changes that we consider relevant and necessary on the whole, it fails to recognize the existence of the Quebec film industry and the role the filmmaking community plays in promoting the development of this unique film industry.

A Quebec film industry

In the opinion of the Bloc Québécois, there is no French-language market or English-language market in Canada. There is a film industry in Quebec and a film industry in Canada. Throughout the work of the Heritage Committee, the Bloc Québécois has sought to raise the members’ awareness of this fact, which is obvious to anyone familiar with the film industry in Canada and Quebec.  These two industries face different challenges.  Although they are different, a single film policy can still be developed.

“As of at September 2004, Quebec films generated 21.1% of revenues in the French-language market, while Canadian films generated a mere 1.7% in the English-language market,”² the National Film Board of Canada noted in its brief.

This reality was emphasized by a great many witnesses appearing before the Heritage Committee over the last year.  For reasons unknown to us, however, the Committee has chosen to ignore and omit all references to the Quebec film industry, which is regarded as part of the “French-language market.” Films such as Mambo Italiano, The blue butterfly or Bon cop, bad cop (upcoming release) are not part of the English-language market but rather part of the Quebec market.  Recognizing the existence of the Quebec film industry would force the federal government to acknowledge the distinctness of Quebec culture, which it refuses to do.

With respect to the film industry, I would add that in our opinion the Canadian Conference of the Arts is entirely right in saying that Quebec is an exception.

The Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exports notes in one of the chapters, entitled “Quebec and English Canada,” that “there are great discrepancies between the film industries in Québec and the rest of Canada.  The level of box-office success in Québec has not and may not be duplicated in English Canada…..Rather we are suggesting that in future each market be examined in isolation and the needs of each be considered separately.”³

Recommendations

The Bloc Québécois recommends that the federal government and its various agencies recognize the existence of the Quebec film industry, which is more than a regional aspect of the French-language film industry in Canada.

The Bloc Québécois recommends that the Quebec and Canadian markets be examined separately in establishing a Canadian feature film policy to ensure that it addresses the various challenges these markets face.

The Bloc Québécois recommends that the federal partners of the film industry (NFB, Telefilm, CRTC, CBC) work with Quebec partners such as SODEC, whose expertise is unparalleled.

The Bloc Québécois recommends finally that a feature-length documentary fund be created for this type of filmmaking, which serves a unique role, to ensure that it has access to the resources needed for its development.

Finally, the Bloc Québécois reiterates its demand that Quebec have full control over culture, including the film industry, and that the amounts corresponding to Quebec’s share be managed by the Quebec ministry of culture.  We recognize that Quebec sovereignty is the only way for us to attain this objective.