Season 2
6 episodes
47 min. per episode
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A passionate filmmaker battles industry norms, uncovering untold stories that redefine Canadian cinema and inspire future generations.
Episodes
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Adding an intriguing Canadian twist to a universally appealing story of teenage trials, writer/director Sandy Wilson's autobiographical memoir of growing up in British Columbia's picturesque Okanagan Valley in the late 1950s became a popular hit in the 1980s. Newcomer Margaret Langrick stars in the film as Sandy, a bright 12-year-old who is rescued from a summer of boredom when her older, cooler cousin Butch arrives unexpectedly from California in a bright red Cadillac convertible. Sandy and her pre-teen friends fall madly for Butch's rock 'n' roll swagger, but he's more interested in making time with the local girls and getting in fistfights. Though at first, Butch considers his Canadian cousin no more than a little kid, they eventually foster a mutual respect, and together make the summer a truly unforgettable experience. Capturing the restlessness of youth with a fresh, feminine perspective, Wilson's genuinely charming period piece is forever reaching for lost innocence as it playfully contrasts Canadian and American attitudes. Langrick, who picked up a Genie in her first big screen role, discusses her experiences on the film along with co-stars John Wildman and Jane Mortifee, while Sandy Wilson and producer Peter O'Brian reveal why My American Cousin has remained a consistent favourite for Canadians and non-Canadians alike.
Claude Jutra was already one of Canada's notable directors when he made his best-loved work, a poignant portrait of growing up in a small Quebec mining town in the 1940s. His film is the story of Benoît, a young orphan who spends Christmas Eve with his undertaker uncle, Antoine, on a sleigh-bound journey through a bitter snowstorm to retrieve the body of a local boy. Drawing heavily from the French new wave filmmakers, Jutra's affecting slice-of-life tale is a bittersweet look at Quebec before the Quiet Revolution that focuses almost entirely on Benoît's nostalgic and sometimes absurd view of the townspeople. Though Jutra passed away in 1986, the film's history is traced by famed cinematographer Michel Brault, composer 'Jean Cousineau' and star Monique Mercure. Two residents of Black Lake, where the film was shot, are also interviewed alongside critics including Martin Knelman, Piers Handling and Andre Loiselle, who express the lasting impact of this undeniable classic of French-Canadian cinema.
On Screen!, is a documentary series that explores and celebrates the Canadian film industry's most important cultural milestones. Each one-hour program showcases a quintessentially Canadian feature film and the work of the people who made it; artists and auteurs who blazed new paths, opened doors and set new standards for a modern generation of story tellers yet to come. Along with clips from the films, each episode features interviews with members of the cast, crew, and nationally known critics, who reveal the behind-the-scenes trials of how each movie evolved from page to screen. Occasionally sad, sometimes hilarious, but always poignant, these are the stories that changed the face of Canadian film forever.