Canada is rarely represented in mainstream media, despite the number of projects filmed here. Where can Canadians see themselves onscreen?
Carlos Macias (he/they) // Contributor
Ethan Woronko (he/him) // Illustrator
It’s a curious thing that Vancouver rarely sees itself in movies. After all, Vancouver hosts an average of 30 feature films and 30 serial TV productions a year, making it the third largest film production city in North America according to BCBusiness. From edgy teen dramas like Riverdale (2017) to Hollywood blockbusters such as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Vancouver has played cities from all around the world — but hardly ever itself. When that city title card fades in, often the name Vancouver is curiously absent, or the name of any other Canadian city for that matter.
It’s true that Hollywood has a bit of a chokehold on the film industry. Go to any movie theatre and the marquee will be littered with titles of American productions. The majority of top musicians and artists on Spotify, tech companies and news outlets are also American.
Even hockey — a sport so deeply ingrained in Canadian culture — has felt the effects of American influence. Canadian teams currently make up only 22 per cent of the NHL roster. Perhaps it’s the sheer power of capital that American media has behind it, but it’s impossible to deny that the bulk of the media that Canadians consume comes from across the southern border.
And that matters.
Media has a habit of shaping culture. Looking at media from any decade offers a glimpse behind the curtain and points to where things might be headed. Take, for example, the Red Scare and McCarthyism being reflected in films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) where the aliens — aka the Communists — are hiding in plain sight, appearing identical to their human counterparts. Or the underground punk movement that took the music and fashion world by storm in the U.K. in the mid-70s, represented in movies like Jubilee (1978).
Much like what has been witnessed with present day media — whether it be how Hollywood’s push for diversity has given visibility to numerous marginalized groups, or how news outlets and social media have become so influential in deciding elections — it’s clear that media plays a role in both representing and shaping public consciousness. When most media Canadians consume is American, it’s little surprise that both countries often get lumped together by third parties.
For anyone willing to dig, there are films about Canada and by Canadian creatives. All that’s needed is a little digging to unearth media that shows a reflection of who Canada truly is.
Les Ordres (1974), dir. Michel Brault, for example, is a Quebecois film that chronicles the wrongful incarceration of civilians during the 1970 October Crisis, an important chapter in Canada’s national history. Away from Her (2006), explores personal tragedy in the vast landscapes of rural Ontario, and is directed by local Academy Award Winner Sarah Polley.
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001), dir. Zacharias Kunuk, offers a gritty tale of Indigenous life in the icy wilderness of Nunavut, spoken entirely in Inuktitut. C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005), dir. Jean-Marc Vallée, showcases the coming-of-age of queer youth in 1970s Montreal. Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) offers a taste of dry and witty humour that is uniquely Canadian.
As for Vancouver, Double Happiness (1994), dir. Mina Shum, allows for a glimpse into the Chinese immigrant experience and the life of a second generation immigrant. It utilizes 1990s Vancouver as a backdrop, featuring such recognizable locales as the waterfront by New Brighton Park or the familiar wooden sculptures of the Playground of the Gods on Burnaby Mountain.
Canada is represented on the big screen, there are countless other examples that a simple Google search will unearth. It just requires a little extra legwork to find. If Canadians wish to see themselves further represented in the media, the onus is on them to both seek out and to support it.