“Poutine, maple syrup... saying sorry, these are some of the things that define us as Canadians,” said Cameron Bailey, co-director of TIFF at the opening of Score.
“One filmmaker who has brought those things to life... that’s Michael McGowan,” said Bailey to the public who came to the screening of Score this Thursday at the Elgin Theatre.
The musical takes the form of a ligh-hearted love story, and stars Noah Reid, Allie MacDonald, and Walter Gretzky, father of the “The Great One.” Score is a musical that portrays known Canadian characteristics like worldliness, humility, and kindness around a theme most sensitive north of the American border—hockey. This movie is apt to inspire Canadians to relive the day when Canada won gold in hockey at the Winter Olympics, Bailey said.
“We have so few opportunities as Canadians to embrace and celebrate what makes us, I think, the greatest country in the world,” said McGowan at the introductory speech of his film. Latest Canadian film McGowan produced, was a box office hit called One Week that he showcased at TIFF in 2008 before it released it in theaters in 2009.
Other Canadian Celebrations
There was certainly an air of generosity at the presentation of the fifth annual Canadian Media Production Association Awards this Thursday evening as the CMPA gave away $10,000 to the most outstanding Canadian producer of the year.
Out of the 29 contestants, Denise Robert, Québécois film director of a recent feature movie Route 132 accepted the prize and awarded it to a colleague filmmaker Louis Bélanger.
“[Denise] has been instrumental in bringing to the screen stories that resonate with Canadians,” said Piers Handling, the director and CEO of TIFF.
Robert and Bélanger collaborated on directing the French film Route 132 which revolves around a protagonist who loses someone close and embarks on a journey of self discovery.
“I’m deeply touched by this terrific honor. It’s probably the best award I’ve ever had because it is given by one’s peers,” said Robert upon reception. Robert is the first woman to receive the prize that made her feel like “one of the boys,” which she accepted as a compliment.
“I’ve always dreamt of what it would be like to take money like this... and give it to somebody I admire and say: there you go and write, without any strings attached,” said Robert about her passing on the award.
