Contemporary Canadian Film and Literature General Introduction: City and Canadian Issues

Starting Questions What is a city, or a modern city? What're the common issues of a modern city? And what makes its cultural productions interesting? What are the differences between modern and postmodern city? What are the issues specific to Toronto and Monntreal as Canadian cities? An example

What is a City? e.g. Understanding Cities 1) Population – over 100,000 or metropolis over 100,000 Average distributionAverage distribution rate of 2000 (%) rate of (%) Urban Rural China Hong Kong Japan Rwanda USA Canada 台灣 1985 年 % 台北 /8 -- 2,626,811

What is a City? (2) What bring people to a city? For work – the job opportunities provided by industrialism and technological improvements. special rhythm and pace, convenience, fast flows of information, capital, commodities and people.

What is a City? (2) What bring people to a city? For work, security and a better life? A city is filled with contradictions: order chaos (crimes, the unpredictable); civilization barbarous crimes the organized & systematized the unpredictable & irregular

A City in historical perspectives e.g. 1. (4) City Life; 2. Understanding Cities The City in three phases since the 19 century: 1st – emergence of industrial city --> serious social problems and environmental problems. (e.g. Dickens ’ London) 2nd – Modern city: utopian city, or the split between the spectacular metropolitan centers and spreading suburbs (2 Brazilia) 3rd – Postmodern city: characterized by globalization( 全球化 ), gentrification( 土地增 值 ), ghettoization( 陋巷區隔 ), diversification of regions and their functions, restoration (e.g. 13 Berlin)

A City ’ s Cultures Like a kaleidoscope, they capture rhythm, history and concerns specific to their city; they embody and intensify human contradictions. (e.g Polygraph, 16 Happy Together ) A city is an imagined community. A city — every part of it — can be read as a text or multiple texts. (e.g. 1. 西門町 ; 超級大國民 ) 西門町

Canadian Cities in Canadian lit and film: Recurrent Themes Survival National identity and history Race Relations Love, alienation and obsession City visions: Walking in and looking at the city Chance encounter and the apocalypse

Survival Survival in the Postmodern City “Canada is an unknown territory for the people who live in it... It’s that kind of space in which we find ourselves lost.” (Atwood, Survival)

National Identity: From Two Solitudes to MANY Canada‘s National Identity & Race Relations "As Canadian as possible,..., under the circumstances."

From Two Solitudes to MANY: Duality -- caused by settler-colonization and neo-colonialism French and English; British, American & “Canadian” Immigrants & Multiculturalism Act “Garrison Mentality” vs. individualism

Canada‘s National Identity & Race Relations: Important Dates (1) -National self-consciousness a confederation of former colonies (The British North America Act) * [two World Wars] the creation of the status of Canadian citizen the appointment of Vincent Massey as the first Canadian governor. * expo '67 in Montreal

Canada‘s National Identity & Race Relations: Important Dates (2) -National self-consciousness Official Languages Act The Constitution Act ended British control over amendments to Canada's Constitution Canadian Multiculturalism Act (the term emerged in the 60’s) Free Trade agreement North American Free Trade Agreement

Important Dates (3): Quebec the battle of Quebec 英國為了勸誘法語區不要加入美 國獨立革命，賦與英屬法語區若干民政 權及宗教權。 境內百分之六十為法語人口，但 加拿大聯邦以英語為唯一官方語言。 Quiet Revolution Act Referendum: (since 1980) recently in 1993; 1995

Canada‘s National Identity: As Constructed by Literature General: Mosaic Literature: Garrison mentality (Frye, 1971) collective victim; Survival (Atwood 1972) namelessness, spacelessness Disunity as unity the use of irony; etc.

Canada‘s National Identity in Relation to the U.S. As a Big Brother, the U.S. influences Canada both economically and culturally. Hollywood North vs. Canadian metafilm, documentary, animation & comedians.

Canada‘s National Identity: As Constructed by Films The role of NFB: animation, documentary, etc. Documentary tradition (cinema verite) to distinguish itself from Hollywood film Victim mentality: since Nobody Waved Goodbye Tax-Shelter period: Ontario New Wave in 1980’s Multiculturalism in the 1990’s. Sexually pervert, Morbid and Dark? Alienation?

An Example: When the Day Breaks (10) Gender difference Chance encounter and accidents The pig ’ s responses: Sympathize by trying to imagine the chicken ’ s history; Escape; Re-connected with society How are we connected in a city? Recurrent images:cells, eating, lemon, lines (veins, water pipes, drainage, electric wires, subway tunnels, radio/TV antenna, hole), darkness and brightness.