The Origins of Canadian Cinema
By 1896, the first screenings were taking place in Saint-Laurent and Montreal. The inventions of Edison and the Lumière brothers were presented on both sides of the language border, and cinema developed rapidly in the country. In 1897, James Freer, a farmer and reporter by training, became Canada's first filmmaker. His films revolved around his daily life, capturing the plains and wide-open spaces of the country. In 1914, the first Canadian feature film, Evangeline, was released in American and Canadian cinemas. Adapted from a poem by American author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, this production by Edward P. Sullivan and William Cavanaugh is, like James Freer's early films, considered lost. The years that followed saw the development of the Canadian industry, alongside the increasingly imposing American one. By 1926, nearly 95% of films shown in Canada were American, and the country's directors were leaving to work in Hollywood. Ontario-born Jack Warner, one of the four founders of Warner Bros., moved to Los Angeles during this period, while Quebec-born Mack Sennett became one of Hollywood's leading silent-film comedy directors, before launching careers such as Charlie Chaplin's. To support national film production, the National Film Board was founded in 1939. Originally a tool for wartime propaganda, the Board remained active after the end of the world conflict, becoming the main support structure for Canadian cinema. The Canadian seventh art then developed around documentaries, animation and independent fiction. From this period, discover the film Pour la suite du monde, by Pierre Perrault and Michel Brault (1963). A unique documentary, an intimate portrait of the traditions of a world that has now disappeared, it remains one of the great Canadian films, according to the critics. It was also the first Canadian film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. At the same time, Canadian cinema is making its mark internationally through independent animation. Norman McLaren, the main artist of this Canadian movement supported by the NFB, won the Oscar for best short film in 1952 with Voisins, then the Palme d'Or for short film at the 1955 Cannes Festival. At the same time, Evelyn Lambart became the first Canadian director of animated films. She followed in the footsteps of Nell Shipman, who had been producing, shooting and starring in her own silent fiction films since 1920. Don't hesitate to satisfy your curiosity by discovering the films of these three filmmakers, some of which are available free online.
In the 1970s, under the impetus of the NFB and in line with the questioning of documentary cinema at the time, production diversified. Claude Jutra, trained in Montreal, won critical acclaim with Mon oncle Antoine (1971). A few years later, Don Shebib shot Goin' Down the Road (1978), a landmark road movie between documentary and social realism. Internationally, filmmaker Beverly Shaffer won the Oscar for Best Short Film in 1977 for her film I'll Find a Way. New Orleans-born Bob Clark worked in Canada for almost fifteen years, delivering some of Canada's biggest box-office hits, including the saucy comedy Porky's (1982). A slightly dated film, but one that will appeal to fans of the genre. It was also in this new golden age of Canadian cinema that David Cronenberg made his first feature films, Stereo (1969) and Crimes of the Future (1970). With La Mouche (1986), his reputation became international. A unique career, in which technology and humanity are constantly intertwined, for a cinema somewhere between horror and thriller, depending on the film. Crash (1996), eXistenZ (1999) with Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh, A History of Violence (2005) with Viggo Mortensen, and most recently the remake of his own film Les Crimes du futur (2021) with Léa Seydoux, are among his most interesting works. More recently, another major figure has emerged, this time in Quebec, in the person of Xavier Dolan. Also the bearer of a very distinctive style, Dolan was revealed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. His first feature film, J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother), was screened at the Directors' Fortnight, after winning awards at nearly a dozen festivals across the French-speaking world. In addition to such high-profile works as Mommy (2014), winner of the Prix du Jury at Cannes, and Juste la fin du monde (2017), a double winner at the Césars, Xavier Dolan also doubles for the Quebec versions of a number of well-known sagas. He is the voice of Rupert Grint, Ron Weasley in Harry Potter, and Taylor Lautner, Jacob Black in Twilight. It's also a way of continuing to produce cinema with a style like no other, in the image of today's Canadian cinema.
Mythical and anecdotal film locations in Canada
With production centers and studios in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canada regularly welcomes film shoots from Hollywood and beyond. And it's all thanks to the support the country offers to boost the industry, which has proved more than effective. For example, the film 300, about the struggle of Leonidas, King of Sparta, against the Emperor Xerxes, ruler of Persia, was mainly filmed at Montreal's Icestorm Studios. Toronto, on the other hand, is regularly used as a "look-alike" for New York. It's much easier to set up a shoot here than in the American megalopolis. American Psycho (2000), a cynical thriller starring Christian Bale, was shot almost entirely in Toronto. You'll recognize the restaurants Montana (now The Ballroom Bowl) and The Senator, as well as the Phoenix Concert Theatre, all three of which are still in operation today. Toronto was also the filming location for The Incredible Hulk (2010), and is home to the hit series The Scarlet Handmaid (2017-), and The Boys (2019-). The discerning eye will recognize the headquarters of the Vought company when it comes face to face with Roy Thomson Hall, also a magnificent performance venue.
On the other side of the country, Vancouver and the surrounding region play host to both series and film shoots. The first two seasons of Lucifer (2016-2021), starring Tom Ellis, were filmed in the city. Some episodes feature Oceanic Plaza. Arrow, Supernatural, The Flash, X-Files, Supergirl, Legion: it's hard to name them all, as there are so many in this "Hollywood of the North". On the cinema front, you can't miss the filming locations of the Twilight saga. At Parthenon Park, you can relive Jacob's rescue of Bella. Before settling down in the same cinema as the two souls in pain, at the Paramount Gentleman's Club. Bella and Edward's wedding is celebrated at Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, and David Thompson High School becomes Forks' school for two films. At the time, the press reported that students jostled around the school to catch a glimpse of the cast! Last but not least, don't miss a visit to Hatley Castle, a landmark of the city but also, and above all, the mythical school of Professor Xavier in X-Men 2, X-Men: The Final Confrontation and the Deadpool saga. You'll also recognize this castle in the Smallville series and many other films. Don't hesitate to ask the castle's reception staff about its past as a movie set during your visit.
It's good to be a moviegoer in Canada
In 2015, there were over 3,000 movie screens in Canada, a higher concentration than in France, despite a population of just under forty million. This is a boon for seventh-art fans, who can also count on major festivals of international renown in the country's major cities. In Toronto, TIFF has become a not-to-be-missed event, welcoming more than 280,000 film buffs and professionals every September. In Vancouver, a major festival also takes place at this time of year, in a city that hosts a dozen other smaller film festivals.
As for theatres, the oldest in operation - the Patricia Theatre in Powell River, near Vancouver - celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2023. An idyllic setting religiously preserved by its managers, yet equipped with the latest technology. Another unusual venue is The Park Theatre in Manitoba, North America's largest log cinema! And here too, the picturesque setting won't stop you from enjoying your screening with state-of-the-art equipment. In Toronto, head to the TIFF Lightbox headquarters, a cozy cinema with a video library and exhibition rooms. In Montreal, check out the Beaubien, Du Parc or Du Musée cinemas. These three cinemas offer a fine selection of independent films as well as blockbusters, in their original version. Finally, if you want a total cinema experience, head for one of the country's IMAX theaters, the largest of which is at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, British Columbia. Make the most of it, cinemas are a haven of warmth during the long days of the Canadian winter.
