Le Mouton noir
Encyclopedia
Le Mouton Noir is a Quebec
documentary
produced
in 1992 by the National Film Board of Canada
(NFB). Jacques Godbout
directed and starred in the film. Its style belongs to the Quebec cinéma direct
school of film
making.
, and its effects on the Quebec society and Quebec nationalism
. It is set during the Bélanger-Campeau commission
(a public hearing to determine the way to choose for Quebec regarding its autonomy), before the Parti Libéral du Québec
(in power, traditionally in favor of autonomy within Canada and co-instigator of the Accord with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
) formally closed the door to independence in the light of the death of Meech Lake and the departure of some Liberal nationalists to create the ADQ
. The title means The Black Sheep, referring to Quebec and its difference coupled with a perceived ostracism by Canada
, notably through its rejection of the Accord that would have recognized this difference.
, Denis Coderre
, Mario Dumont
, Joseph Facal
, and Jean-François Simard
. Their destinies are all altered and shaped by the historical event (for example: Simard becomes a sovereigntist and will leave the Liberal Party for the Parti Québécois
; Dumont will also slam the Liberal door to later help create and finally become leader of the Action démocratique du Québec
, or ADQ, and support the Yes side of the 1995 referendum on independence).
It also features many other Quebec public figures, notably political scientist
Daniel Latouche (a past senior adviser to René Lévesque
), then Premier
Robert Bourassa
, sovereigntist and aspirant to Bourassa's "throne" Jacques Parizeau
, and fellow filmmaker Denys Arcand
. Bourassa speaks of the Accord, his related famous speech in the National Assembly of Quebec
and the cancer
that would soon bring him to his demise. Arcand gives his point of view on the similarities between the moment in question and another important event in Quebec nationalism and independentism
, the 1980 referendum. The fall of the Accord indeed led to the second referendum on independence. He is himself the director of Le confort et l'indifférence
, a similar analytic film about the 1980 plebiscite, and is brought into Le Mouton Noir especially for that reason.
, for example), Le Mouton noir showcases Godbout's own style of putting himself into the narrative thread by setting up scenes where he researches his subject and interacts with others, to help push the documentary forward. Godbout provides his own voice for the voice-overs of the English version.
was brought to theaters called Les héritiers du mouton noir. It catches up with the five young politicians the first part centered on.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
produced
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
in 1992 by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
(NFB). Jacques Godbout
Jacques Godbout
Jacques Godbout, CQ is a Canadian novelist, essayist, children's writer, journalist, filmmaker and poet. By his own admission a bit of a dabbler , Godbout has become one of the most important writers of his generation, with a major influence on post-1960 Quebec intellectual life.-Biography:Born in...
directed and starred in the film. Its style belongs to the Quebec cinéma direct
Cinéma vérité
Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques with stylized cinematic devices of editing and camerawork, staged set-ups, and the use of the camera to provoke subjects. It is also known for taking a provocative stance toward its topics.There are subtle yet...
school of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
making.
Synopsis
It chronicles the immediate aftermath of the fall, in 1990, of the Meech Lake AccordMeech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, and its effects on the Quebec society and Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...
. It is set during the Bélanger-Campeau commission
Commission on the Political and Constitutional Future of Quebec
The Commission on the Political and Constitutional Future of Quebec, also known as the Bélanger-Campeau Commission, was established by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, at the initiative of Premier Robert Bourassa, after the demise of the Meech Lake Accord...
(a public hearing to determine the way to choose for Quebec regarding its autonomy), before the Parti Libéral du Québec
Parti libéral du Québec
The Quebec Liberal Party is a centre-right political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955....
(in power, traditionally in favor of autonomy within Canada and co-instigator of the Accord with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
) formally closed the door to independence in the light of the death of Meech Lake and the departure of some Liberal nationalists to create the ADQ
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
. The title means The Black Sheep, referring to Quebec and its difference coupled with a perceived ostracism by Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, notably through its rejection of the Accord that would have recognized this difference.
Protagonists
The film is focused not only on the reaction of the Quebec people as a whole but also on individuals and their experiences right in the middle of the Meech Lake aftermath. The main protagonists are five young politicians later to leave their mark on Quebec society: Michel BissonnetMichel Bissonnet
Michel Bissonnet, MNA is a Canadian politician who served as Liberal member and President of the National Assembly of Quebec.-Background:...
, Denis Coderre
Denis Coderre
Denis Coderre, PC, MP is a Canadian politician from Quebec, Canada. Coderre is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Bourassa.-Background:...
, Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
, Joseph Facal
Joseph Facal
Joseph Facal is a politician, academic, and journalist in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 2003 and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry.-Early life and career:Facal was born...
, and Jean-François Simard
Jean-François Simard
Jean-François Simard is a teacher and former Quebec provincial politician and Cabinet Minister. He was the a member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Montmorency from 1998 to 2003...
. Their destinies are all altered and shaped by the historical event (for example: Simard becomes a sovereigntist and will leave the Liberal Party for the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
; Dumont will also slam the Liberal door to later help create and finally become leader of the Action démocratique du Québec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
, or ADQ, and support the Yes side of the 1995 referendum on independence).
It also features many other Quebec public figures, notably political scientist
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
Daniel Latouche (a past senior adviser to René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
), then Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
, sovereigntist and aspirant to Bourassa's "throne" Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
, and fellow filmmaker Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand
Georges-Henri Denys Arcand, is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2004 for The Barbarian Invasions...
. Bourassa speaks of the Accord, his related famous speech in the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
and the cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
that would soon bring him to his demise. Arcand gives his point of view on the similarities between the moment in question and another important event in Quebec nationalism and independentism
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
, the 1980 referendum. The fall of the Accord indeed led to the second referendum on independence. He is himself the director of Le confort et l'indifférence
Le confort et l'indifférence
Le confort et l'indifférence is a 1981 documentary film by Denys Arcand, offering an analysis of the 1980 Quebec referendum, in which "sovereignty-association" was defeated as a first step to eventual secession from Canada...
, a similar analytic film about the 1980 plebiscite, and is brought into Le Mouton Noir especially for that reason.
Production
Like other documentaries of his (Traître ou PatrioteTraître ou Patriote
Traître ou Patriote is a Quebec documentary produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 2000. It is directed by and starring Jacques Godbout. Its style belongs to the Quebec cinéma direct school of filmmaking.-Synopsis:It analyzes the place of Quebec Premier Adélard Godbout in history...
, for example), Le Mouton noir showcases Godbout's own style of putting himself into the narrative thread by setting up scenes where he researches his subject and interacts with others, to help push the documentary forward. Godbout provides his own voice for the voice-overs of the English version.
Sequel
In 2003, a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
was brought to theaters called Les héritiers du mouton noir. It catches up with the five young politicians the first part centered on.
See also
- List of Quebec movies
- List of Quebec film directors
- Cinema of Quebec
- Culture of QuebecCulture of QuebecThe Culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting from the shared history of the French-speaking majority in Quebec. It is unique to the Western World; Quebec is the only region in North America with a French-speaking majority, as well as one of only two provinces in Canada...
- History of QuebecHistory of QuebecQuebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...