FS 309 A1: Quebec Cinema

L. Czach

Did you know that Quebec filmmakers are excelling on the world stage? Three years in a row (2011-2013) a film from Quebec was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar-an award that Denys Arcand won in 2004 for The Barbarian Invasions. Other filmmakers such as Xavier Dolan and Denis Coté are picking up top prizes at film festivals in Cannes, Berlin, and Locarno. So what led up to this watershed moment? This course provides an overview of the achievements in Quebec cinema placing the major developments in Quebec filmmaking in their social, political and historical contexts. Attention will be paid to important auteurs such as Michel Brault, Denys Arcand, Anne Claire Poirier, Claude Jutra, Lea Pool, and Robert Lepage, as well as contemporary directors Jean Marc Vallée, Denis Villeneuve, Xavier Dolan, and Denis Coté. Underpinning these investigations will be an exploration of the themes and concerns that dominate the formation of Quebec cinema including the role of women filmmakers and Quebec-Indigenous relations.