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Being Canadian is a 2015 Canadian cinema documentary comedy film that was written and directed by Robert Cohen and produced by The Sibs (Colin Keith Gray and Megan Raney Aarons), in association with Movie Central and The Movie Network. The film is an examination of Canadian identity and is structured around a cross-country road trip. Cohen interviews Canadian celebrities, most of whom are comedians.
The film premiered in Canada at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto on 26 April 2015. Its American premiere in New York City on 18 September 2015 launched the Canada Cool film tour, which was sponsored by Telefilm Canada and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Critical response to the film was mixed; while some critics said it is an entertainingly patriotic love letter to Canada, others said it fails to provide a fresh perspective or meaningful answers to the questions it asks. The Writers Guild of America nominated the film for a Best Documentary Screenplay award.
Canadians, in order of appearance:
Americans, in order of appearance:
Outsider perceptions of Canada are illustrated with interviews and anecdotal evidence, such as the idea all Canadians live in in a barren landscape. Numerous Canadians who have worked in the US entertainment industry note their nationality was met with confusion or suspicion, which is likened to McCarthyism paranoia of the invisible outsider.
Canadian politeness and propensity to apologize is noted as a true positive stereotype, a reputation as good people that leads to better social treatment abroad – particularly in comparison to Americans. Some interviewees note Canadians are "slaves to their courtesy", a statement that is followed by a montage of apologies. Some, however, perceive this as passive-aggressiveness.
Maple syrup is noted for its close connection with Canadian cuisine, and its association with the maple leaf as a national symbol and the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, one of the country's largest crimes. Discussion of Canadian sports includes the respect observed in and the Canadian Football League's 1951 and 1976 championships, in which the competing teams had homophone names.
Crossing into Ontario, the weather suddenly changes and Canadians are shown taking this in their stride with ice skating, art displays, and fishing on the frozen Rideau Canal in Ottawa. Survival in the Canadian climate is discussed in the context of pioneer and modern times, with fatalistic humour raised as a coping mechanism. Noting the many Canadian comedians, Canadian humour is discussed. Canada's juxtaposition between the dominant British and American cultures is said to provide an outsider perspective for observational humour, satire and parody, with self-deprecating underdog characters and likeable troublemakers.
After stopping in Saskatchewan to watch a patriotic performance of Musical Ride, Cohen travels to Calgary, his hometown. Canadian television of his childhood is examined, noting the low production values and the two-decade run of The Beachcombers. Comparisons with US television leads into a discussion of Canada's love-hate relationship with the United States. Canada is likened to an attention-seeking younger brother and the interviewees note Canada is unlikely to receive any acknowledgement from its southern neighbour and does not enter into the thoughts of most Americans.
Canadians' inferiority complex is discussed along with many Canadians' need to create validating comparisons. Cohen visits a psychotherapist as Canada, a child of England and France with an awkward upbringing beside a noisy neighbour, and is told he cannot be happy defining himself with external comparisons. Cohen becomes depressed as he begins the final leg of his journey with no definitive answer about what it means to be Canadian.
While stopping due to a storm, Cohen's doubts about the project grow and he has a drunken vision of Wayne Gretzky, who tells Cohen to believe in Canada and persevere. He reaches Vancouver in time for Canada Day celebrations. While filming an enthusiastic and boisterous parade, Cohen realizes in his absence, Canada had grown into a confident, patriotic country that does not need to be defended by him or his film. With a renewed sense of pride, Cohen realizes there was no need for his insecurities, that modern-day Canada does not need outside recognition and that he can carry that identity with him.
The documentary Sherman's March inspired Cohen for the film's structure, which follows a 10-day road trip from Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, to Vancouver, British Columbia. Producers Colin Gray and Megan Raney Aarons ( The Sibs) of Grainey Pictures said Cohen's project was "love at first sight" for them. It was executive-produced by Michael Souther, Teza Lawrence and Michael LaFetra for Amaze Film + Television.
Cohen had difficulty obtaining interviews with high-profile figures until he contacted friends Foley and Myers. The project then quickly built momentum as an increasing number of celebrities sought to be included. Cohen stated Americans Griffin, O'Brien and Stiller were fascinated by the subject and wanted to be part of it when they learned of the Canadian celebrities who were participating. Distributor Entertainment One was attracted to the project on the strength of media attention from the celebrity interviews. Cohen then found months of editing were required to reduce 120 hours of interviews into a finished, 89-minute film. Some material that was not used in the film was provided to promotional sponsors and video-on-demand (VOD) services as bonus footage.
The production conducted public fundraising on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo from 17 May 2013, raising $12,000 in the first fortnight towards a goal of $95,000.
Candy Factory Films acquired the American and worldwide distribution rights at the Hot Docs festival. The American release of Being Canadian was originally planned for 1 July – Canada Day. Instead, the film had its American theatrical premiere on 18 September 2015 at Cinema Village in New York City, launching Telefilm Canada's Canada Cool exhibition tour in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). On the same day, Being Canadian was released on VOD in the US.
Being Canadian had its television premiere on The Movie Network on 13 December 2015. The same year, the film toured several film festivals, including Nantucket Film Festival, DocFest Film Festival and Traverse City Film Festival.
Laurence Kardish, curator emeritus of MoMA, said Being Canadian has "ambitious originality". Dan Snierson of Entertainment Weekly called it a "charming underdog film". Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star wrote the film could leave Canadian viewers full of "pride, or at least amusement". Liz Braun of The Toronto Sun wrote the interviews are the best part of Being Canadian, which has well-delivered humour in a condensed look at Canadian culture. Matthew Ritchie of Exclaim! wrote the comedy documentary is "a labour of love" full of silliness, and that its underlying message is "Canadians are funny people". Pat Mullen of Point of View Magazine called the film "unabashedly and amusingly patriotic" and a "fun, laid-back jaunt into our collective psyche" that is told in a manner in which even its omissions are distinctly Canadian. He compared it to Alan Zweig's 2013 documentary When Jews Were Funny because the interviewees laugh and joke at the absurdity of their common experiences. Mullen excuses the film's flaws in the art of relating a joke. Stephen Marche, writing for Esquire, took note of the invisible-outsider status of Canadians in the United States, which interviewed comedians say gives them a special edge. He found the film to be a true documentary-comedy, a journey in pursuit of a country's identity, landing on a joke. According to Marche; "Canadians make the best kind of foreigners. You can barely tell they're there. And when you do notice them, they just make you laugh." Peter Howell of the Toronto Star noted Cohen's "absurd and generous wit", and his ability to get his subjects to open up.
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