A passionate pursuit, but can you make a living?

ATSA_making_of_1
Myself and Simon Bujold (on camera) wearing our techincian hats, filming Annie Roy on St. Lawrence Avenue in Montreal. Photo by Michel Gélinas.

Fellow filmmaker Manfred Becker, director and editor based in Toronto (director of Fatherland, co-director of Diamond Road) recently wrote to me with a question. He was preparing for a workshop he was giving with Barry Stevens (Offspring, The Great Atlantic Air Race) as part of the Documentary Organization of Canada workshop series. He wanted a little input on the following question: ‘We all know that a lot of people feel passionate about making documentaries, but… can you actually make a living doing this?’

Well, a few people can. With budgets in the millions of dollars, Michael Moore is certainly one of them. But for most documentary filmmakers survival is a real struggle. There used to actually be staff jobs for documentary filmmakers at the National Film Board but those positions were mostly abolished about ten years ago. Just a few months ago, the three last remaining NFB staff directors here in Montreal were let go. There are fewer and fewer jobs directing current affairs documentaries at the CBC – that’s where I did my early work. And funding for independent documentaries is more and more precarious, a situation aggravated by the recent Harper government cutbacks in the arts sector. The cuts that affect us filmmakers are the elimination of the Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund and the reduced subsidies for film schools.

Producing a documentary, especially one with a personal style or a socio-political edge, has become extremely difficult. This is why I feel that producers and directors committed to documentary filmmaking are in the same boat, fighting the same battle, and have to be each other’s strongest allies. DOC reflects this essential alliance well, with its membership made up of both directors and producers.

So, back to the question. How do you make a living? My feeling is that the great majority of documentary filmmakers have to either have another job or source of income on the side, or have to wear several hats on their projects. One filmmaker friend in Cape Breton has a small hydroelectric power station on his land, providing basic income. Another one comes from a wealthy family, in addition to being extremely talented. I recommend all of these avenues! But for most of us it is probably more realistic to make money from skills that are related to filmmaking. My friend Martin Duckworth has been teaching film production at Concordia University for years, and so have Daniel Cross and Mary Ellen Davis. Martin of course is a leading DOP, shooting films for other people. Other people do script editing, sound recording or editing. Ironically, you usually make more money working for others (because there is an actual daily rate) than on your own work (unlimited hours, very little pay).

In my own case, I think I only survive because I work in both English and French. If a project doesn’t find takers in one language universe, I can usually finance it in the other. I look for the special producers and commissioning editors who will take on a challenging project. I often invest a lot of money and especially time to get a project to the stage where I can convince producers and investors to get involved. On the side, I teach regularly but not a lot of hours at l’INIS (the Quebec film school) and occasionally elsewhere. I sometimes read scripts for the funding agencies or the National Film Board. But most of all, I wear several hats on my own productions: researcher, writer, production manager, sound recordist, and of course director. I also generally use my own equipment which I rent out to the producer (you noticed, producer is not one of my hats) and which I also rent out to other people when I’m not shooting. My projects generally take about five years from start to finish, so the income is spread pretty thin over those years. I spend far too much money paying interest on my credit line.

This brings us back to the question you asked, about the passion. I don’t think anyone who is not passionate and determined to make documentaries would accept to live with the prevailing, precarious, financial conditions. But of course it’s wonderful work, and it needs to be done.

Thanks to Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.

Harvey Milk, documentary and fiction

Harvey_Milk_Sean_Penn
Harvey Milk (left); Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk (right)

Last week, I saw both the 1984 documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, directed by Rob Epstein, and the recently released fiction film Milk, directed by Gus van Sant. Both tell the story of the rise to prominence and assassination of the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the U.S. Milk was elected San Francisco supervisor in 1977 but then gunned down along with Mayor George Moscone by a bitter rival. Comparing the two films is a fascinating exercise, as they cover pretty much the same territory and the documentary clearly inspired the fictional treatment. I am sure many students will be doing just that for their term papers. To me, the Oscar-winning documentary is worthy and competently made, definitely worth seeing (now available from Amazon) but more interesting as a historical record than as a piece of filmmaking: it’s pretty traditional and sometimes a bit plodding. But the fictional Milk is a true cinematic accomplishment, one of van Sant’s best films, which is saying a lot. It brilliantly establishes the homophobic context of the times, and the many struggles for gay rights not just in San Francisco but across the U.S. While many scenes are inspired by the documentary, other dimensions are added, particularly involving the assassin-to-be Dan White (Josh Brolin) and his relationship with Milk – played by Sean Penn in one of his best performances. Somewhat ironically I find that the fictional film is the greater inspiration for a documentary filmmaker, from the standpoint of dramatic structure, character development and contextualization. As you can tell, I recommend both of these films. Milk is still in theatres, and will surely be up for some Oscars. Epstein collaborated with van Sant on the treatment for Milk. For an interview with him rest here.

Thanks to Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.

Grannies rage against war toys

GranssingEatonCtr
Mémés and Grannies sing in front of Eaton Center

Continuing to shoot our film abut the Raging Grannies and their French-speaking sisters, the Mémés Déchaïnées. Last week we joined Louise-Édith Hébert and Anna-Louise Fontaine as they picked up several other Mémés and brought them down to a rehearsal with the Raging Grannies. They then went over to the Eaton Center to sing, first outside and then inside, in front of a video games store. Their message: there are certain kinds of presents our kids don’t need ! Here is one of the songs they sang together:

Vive le vent – War toys

Couplet :
Pendant l’temps / pendant l’ temps /
Des grandes ventes d’hiver / /
Faudrait pas vendre / les jouets de guerre / /
Qui enragent les grand-mères / /Non / / /

Pour Noël / pour Noël /
Voici l’ vœu d’ ces grand-mères / /
Assez / assez / de violence //
Les jouets de guerre / à la poubelle / Ouiiiiiiiii !

(CHORUS)
When we go to shop / To buy a gift or two /
Let’s think of books and paints / and fun things kids can do / /
With skates / a bike / a ball / Our message will be clear /
Peace on Earth / goodwill to all /
Today and through the year / / / Oh !

Jingle bells / Jingle bells /
Jingle of dismay
It’s no fun to shop today /
With war toys on display / / /

Praise for ‘The Battle of Rabaska’

Journaux_RABASKA

This film which I co-directed with Martin Duckworth, has been playing in three theatres in Montreal and Quebec City over the last few weeks. Martin and myself attended many of the screenings and stayed for Q’s & A’s, sometimes in the company of some of the film’s main characters. We have received many messages stating that the film has given the opposition to the LNG port project a real boost. One newspaper, La Vie rurale, which had previously supported the port project went as far as saying the film has completely changed its perception of the opposition, from naive and selfish to credible citizens whose concerns are to be taken seriously. Newspaper reviews have been excellent. Here are some excerpts:
« In case there aren’t enough reasons to spike your blood pressure at this time of year, watch The Battle of Rabaska. »
John Griffin, The Gazette

“Tells us far more about citizen engagement and human nature than a whole pile of sociological studies. Very edifying.”
Mario Cloutier, La Presse
“A shocking film!”
Catherine Lachaussée, Radio-Canada

« Not afraid of taking sides, this film portrays the situation convincingly, with many strong arguments but also with a strong human dimension. »
Kevin Laforest, voir

La Bataille de Rabaska – Critiques des journaux

Journaux_RABASKA

Depuis deux semaines, les journaux et médias électroniques ont beaucoup parlé du film LA BATAILLE DE RABASKA que j’ai co-réalisé avec Martin Duckworth. (Production ONF, Yves Bisaillon et Johanne Bergeron.) Toute cette attention est due en partie à l’excellent travail de notre relationniste Marie-Claude Lamoureux. Je vous reviendrai sur l’impact que toute cette couverture médiatique a eu sur le mouvement d’opposition, mais voici d’abord les critiques des journaux. Le film est encore projeté dans trois salles, au Cinéma ONF à Montréal, au Cinéma du Parc ( avec sous-titres anglais) et au Cinéma Cartier à Québec. Voir www.onf.ca/labataillederabaska

«Comme dans une fiction, le spectateur s’identifie aux protagonistes selon ses propres opinions. …nous en apprend plus sur l’engagement citoyen et la nature humaine que bien des précis de sociologie. Édifiant. »
Mario Cloutier, La Presse

« D’habitude, c’est pas ma tasse de thé ce genre de film, mais ça, c’est vraiment du cinéma! »
Franco Nuovo, Radio-Canada

« …un document fascinant (…) qui pose des questions pertinentes sur l’état de la démocratie québécoise. »
Médiafilm

« …prouve, de façon éloquente, que le vieil adage demeure d’une cruelle actualité : « Si tu ne t’occupes pas de la politique… » »
André Lavoir, Le Devoir

« In case there aren’t enough reasons to spike your blood pressure at this time of year, watch La bataille de Rabaska. »
John Griffin, The Gazette

« Clairement engagé, le film résume la situation de façon concise et convaincante, avec nombre d’arguments probants, mais aussi une forte dimension humaine. »
Kevin Laforest, Voir

« En évaluant le poids de la mobilisation citoyenne contre celui des ténors de l’industrie, les cinéastes tracent un portrait touchant du visage des militants et des enjeux environnementaux québécois. »
Frédéric Towner-Sarault, Alternatives

« …un film marquant, dont on sort en colère contre le système qui a permis à un groupe industriel de faire changer le zonage agricole pour répondre à des besoins en énergie complètement artificiels. »
Sophie Bernard, www.lienmultimédia.com <http://www.lienmultimédia.com>

Qui enquêtera sur Rabaska ?

porc_methanier

Martin Duckworth et moi préparons actuellement avec l’ONF la sortie en salle de notre film LA BATAILLE DE RABASKA. Martin et moi serons présents à plusieurs des visionnements en salle (Cinéma de l’ONF à Montréal et Cinéma Cartier à Québec, à partir du 5 décembre). Aussi, nous aurons l’occasion d’accorder plusieurs entrevues aux médias. Il nous fera évidemment plaisir de parler du film, des personnages, etc. Mais j’ai aussi l’intention de poser la question suivante : n’y aurait-il pas lieu de faire une enquête sur le processus décisionnel qui a mené à l’approbation de ce projet ?

On voit dans le film que Rabaska produira des quantités énormes de gaz à effet de serre, que le projet représente un danger sérieux pour la population locale et qu’il menace une région à forte valeur patrimoniale. Pourquoi, alors, les institutions et agences qui auraient dû protéger les intérêts de la population n’ont-elles pas soulevé des objections ? Il faut dire que la Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (CPTAQ) en a soulevé – et le gouvernement lui a enlevé tout pouvoir par rapport au projet Rabaska. Mais où était la Commission des biens culturels ? Pourquoi la ministre de la culture n’a pas demandé l’avis de la commission, et pourquoi celle-ci ne s’est-elle pas manifestée ? Pourquoi les gens au Ministère de la santé et dans les conseils régionaux de la santé qui étaient en désaccord avec le projet ont dû se taire ? Pourquoi le rapport d’évaluation environnementale conjointe du fédéral et du provincial (souvent appelé BAPE) a simplement mentionné des problèmes sans s’objecter au projet ? La liste est longue, les questions nombreuses.

Nous avons fait un film, pas une enquête journalistique. Mais nous avons quand même ramassé des éléments fort troublants en cours de route. Dans le film, on voit que le Ministre de l’Environnement de l’époque, Thomas Mulcair, se retrouve simple député en bonne partie à cause de ses désaccords avec le premier ministre Charest et son entourage au sujet de Rabaska. Il explique qu’il avait défendu le principe que tout projet soit traité de manière égale, indépendemment de sa taille, et que cela avait soulevé des dissensions au sein du parti. Autrement dit – c’est mon interprétation – Rabaska a bénéficié d’un traitement de faveur. Au lancement de notre film à Montréal, M. Mulcair a affirmé – sans révéler ce qui s’était passé au Conseil des ministres – qu’il y avait eu « de l’ingérence » de la part du cabinet du Premier ministre pour l’empêcher d’annoncer qu’il avait décidé de ne pas envoyer Rabaska au BAPE. En privé, il m’a expliqué qu’il considérait ce projet trop dangereux pour même le soumettre au BAPE. Et, pour sa part, l’ancien ministre de l’agriculture Jean Garon – qu’on voit dans le film comme Maire de Lévis, favorisant le projet à un moment crucial- a déclaré au Soleil lors de notre lancement à Québec, dans sonlangage direct et coloré, que le débat n’a jamais eu lieu parce que ‘le gouvernement a fermé la gueule à tout le monde.’

Mulcair
Thomas Mulcair : ancien Ministre de l’Environnement; actuellement, Député du NPD pour Outremont

Est-ce que le fait que le Chef de cabinet du prmier ministre Charest, Stéphane Betrand, était un ancien vice-président de Gaz Métro a pu jouer un rôle dans ce dossier ? Plusieurs des personnes impliquées dans l’histoire le pensent. (Gaz Métro est un des partenaires du consortium Rabaska.)

LA BATAILLE DE RABASKA a été produit par Yves Bisaillon et Johanne Bergeron au Programme Français de l’ONF.

Merci à Jorge Bustos-Estefan pour l’aide avec ce blogue.

Launching ‘The Battle of Rabaska’

rabaska_affiche_haut

Last week Martin Duckworth and I launched the original French-language version of our feature doc LA BATAILLE DE RABASKA – THE BATTLE OF RABASKA, in the framework of the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal. The film tells the story of the four-year fight by groups of citizens against a projected LNG (liquefied natural gas) import facility on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, opposite the famous Île d’Orléans. The project makes no sense because of its impact on climate change, health and safety for the population in the immediate area, and the protection of the cultural heritage of the region. But business interests and construction unions in the area backed it, and a powerful lobby intervened to push for it on all levels of government. Last October, the provincial government gave the project a green light.

The first screening of our film took place at the Museum of Civilization in Quebec City. It was an emotional event, as many of the people who participated in the struggle were there. They have felt quite abandoned both by politicians and government agencies, and really appreciated having their experience documented and shown on the big screen. Former Quebec Agriculture minister and Mayor of Lévis, Jean Garon, who is seen supporting the project in the film, surprised everyone by stating that ‘the debate never really happened,’ and that ‘the government shut everyone up.’ Other revelations followed at the Montreal premiere a few days later, with former Environment minister Thomas Mulcair (now NDP MP for my riding) stating that there had been undue government interference in the assessment process.

Although the project has received a green light, it doesn’t seem certain that it will actually be built. Rabaska has signed an agreement in principle with the Russian energy giant Gazprom, but there is no final agreement and the gas field which is supposed to supply the project is not in operation. With the economic crisis and reduced energy needs it seems even more absurd than it already was, in a province which has a huge potential for renewable energy sources.

The film, shot over four years, was produced by Yves Bisaillon and Johanne Bergeron at the ONF (National Film Board, French program). It will be in theatres in Quebec City and Montreal starting on December 5th.

Thanks to Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.

‘La Bataille de Rabaska’ aux RIDM

affiche_rabaska

Premières dans les cadres des Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal :

J’achète mon billet. [Billeterie et salles – RIDM]

Pour visionner la bande-annonce et en savoir plus sur le film, visitez le : www.onf.ca/labataillederabaska

VENEZ VOIR LE FILM EN GRAND NOMBRE !

An Essential and Moving Film About Torture

Sous_la_cagoule_1
Photo of Haj Ali, an Iraqi teacher. He was held captive at the Abu Ghraib prison. His left hand is permanently paralyzed due to badly undergone treatments.

My friend Patricio Henríquez, who settled in Canada after he fled Chile due to the coup d’état led by Pinochet, is one of the best documentary filmmakers in the country. His latest film is now out, entitled Under the Hood, a Voyage into the World of Torture (French title: Sous la Cagoule, un voyage au bout de la torture). The documentary was produced by Macumba International in co-production with the NFB. It premiered at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, and is currently showing at the Ex-Centris. It’s a deeply moving film in terms of testimonies, and is highly accomplished on the aesthetic level as well. It brings up essential issues concerning the U.S. foreign policy agenda and the ‘war against terrorism.’ I attended the first screening at Ex-Centris, where Patricio was present and members of the audience were given the chance to say a few words. One of them was Adil Charkaoui, who is originally from Morocco and is presently under the cloud of a ‘security certificate.’ After having been in prison for a long time, he is not allowed to move around freely, and the reasons for these measures are confidential. During the discussion that proceeded the film, some people raised the question of Canada’s complicity in U.S. foreign policy and security tactics. I asked Patricio a few questions.

What was your thought process for the strategies of making this film? It’s not an easy subject matter!

Patricio Henríquez: For this type of film, since it deals with such a vast subject matter within time and History, the approach must bind together a whole array of elements: people, shooting locations, archival sources, information, etc. And even after performing a thorough research, one still doesn’t know everything there is to know when the time comes to start shooting, which limits the possibilities of defining a style. However, it had been clear to me from the beginning that the topic was to be addressed mainly through testimonies. We favoured the shots and the lighting setups that helped to emphasize the personality of the testifiers. We also decided to shoot the interviews with two cameras. One would be in constant movement, very close to the interviewees, thus exploring their corporal expressions to the maximum, while the second one would be set to take medium shots. Inevitably, many decisions regarding the style were taken during the montage, which had an effect on our predilection for orienting the graphical aspect toward the period prints as well as toward images that were mostly impressionistic and which were shot over the course of the montage.

Continue reading An Essential and Moving Film About Torture

Un film bouleversant et essentiel sur la torture

Sous_la_cagoule_1
Photo de Haj Ali : Enseignant irakien, il a été détenu à la prison de Abu Ghraib. Sa main gauche est toujours paralysée, conséquence des mauvais traitements subis.

Mon ami Patricio Henríquez, installé au Canada depuis qu’il a fui le Chili suite au coup d’état de Pinochet, est un des meilleurs documentaristes du pays. Il vient de sortir son dernier film, Sous la cagoule, un voyage au bout de le torture. Le documentaire est produit par Macumba International en co-production avec l’ONF. Aprés un lancement au Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, le film est actuellement en salle à Ex-Centris. C’est un film bouleversant au niveau des témoignages et très fort sur le plan esthétique, qui soulève aussi des questions essentielles concernant la politique étrangère Américaine et la ‘guerre contre le terrorisme.’ J’étais présent à la première projection à Ex-Centris et Patricio a laissé la parole à Adil Charkaoui, marocain d’origine, qui est sujet à un ‘certificat de sécurité’ au Canada. Après un long séjour en prison, il ne peut pas circuler librement, et les raisons de ses mesures sont gardées secrètes. Dans la disucssion qui a suivi le film, quelques personnes ont soulevé la complicité du Canada dans les politiques extérieure et de sécurité des États-Unis. J’ai posé quelques questions à Patricio.

Magnus Isacsson : Quelle a été ta réflexion sur les stratégies de réalisation ? Ce n’est pas un sujet facile !

Patricio Henríquez : Avec ce type de film avec une thématique si vaste dans l’espace et dans l’Histoire, il faut composer avec une grande diversité: personnages, lieux de tournage, sources d’archives, information, etc. Et malgré un travail de recherche poussée, on ne sait pas tout au début des tournages, ce qui laisse peu de possibilités pour définir un style. Cependant, il a toujours été clair pour moi que le sujet allait être traité essentiellement sur la base de témoignages. Nous avons favorisé des éclairages et des prises de vue qui mettaient en relief les personnalités de nos témoins. Nous avons aussi décidé de tourner toutes les entrevues à deux caméras. L’une en mouvement, très proche des personnages, explorant au maximum leurs expréssions corporelles, alors que la deuxième était fixe avec des plans moyens. Forcément, beaucoup de décisions de style ont été prises au montage et nous ont permis d’orienter le travail infographique sur les gravures d’époque ainsique quelques images plutôt impressionistes tournées en cours de montage.

Lire la suite »