Films to remind residents of 'Canadian pride,' on offer at WIFF special movie weekend

Dalson Chen · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Imagine if Canada-U.S. relations became truthful chaotic and adversarial that a acold warfare abruptly developed betwixt the 2 neighbouring nations. Wouldn't that beryllium entertaining fiction?

The makers of the 1995 drama Canadian Bacon thought so. And 30 years later, it's 1 of the featured films successful a peculiar movie play successful Windsor meant to marque viewers deliberation astir the region's astir enduring planetary relationship.

"We firmly judge that movie creates conversation," explained Vincent Georgie, enforcement manager and main programmer of the Windsor International Film Festival, which is organizing the peculiar showings.

"Let's travel unneurotic and spot immoderate films that are meaningful, and amusement what that Canada-U.S. narration is."

From March 28 to 29, 5 films volition beryllium screened astatine the Capitol Theatre successful downtown Windsor, each involving Canada and the U.S. successful antithetic ways.

"The satellite is successful a funky spot close now," Georgie said. "I deliberation radical are looking for things that are positive, compassionate, and besides — successful each these cases — that punctual america of our Canadian pride."

Canadian Bacon (1995)

The formed of this movie is an ensemble of drama legends: John Candy, Rhea Perlman, Alan Alda, Kevin Pollak, Wallace Shawn and others.

The absurd plot about Canada and the U.S. becoming enemies is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The movie's communicative has the U.S. president declaring Canada an force arsenic a mode to boost his popularity.

"(Director) Michael Moore does a truly bully occupation of satirizing that relationship," Georgie said. "And it's made the movie oddly timely close now."

Argo (2012)

Ben Affleck's award-winning thriller portrays what was known arsenic the Canadian Caper: A real-life ngo to rescue diplomats during the Iran hostage situation of 1979, with C.I.A. operatives posing arsenic Canadian filmmakers.

Despite winning the Oscar for Best Picture, the movie has travel nether disapproval for downplaying the relation of existent Canadians successful the ngo — particularly Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor.

But Georgie feels the communicative making it to the large surface successful the archetypal spot is important: "The communicative is yet astir however Canada and the U.S. worked unneurotic to really prevention people. That's truly the halfway of it."

You Are Here: A Come From Away Story (2018)

This documentary shows however the assemblage of Gander, N.L., provided impermanent structure for much than 6,000 passengers of planes that were diverted during the Sept. 11, 2001 violent attacks connected the U.S.

Brian Mosher, a Gander nonmigratory who appears successful the documentary, and Bill House, 1 of the film's producers, volition beryllium attending the Windsor screening.

Georgie said helium considers the communicative a objection of "Canadian compassion... an important infinitesimal of strangers from some sides of the borderline coming unneurotic done a communal crisis, and uncovering a humane solution."

The Best of the Best: Jazz From Detroit (2024)

This caller Detroit documentary highlights some the past of the metropolis and its bequest of large jazz musicians.

Although the movie doesn't person nonstop Canadian ties, Georgie believes it's fitting, fixed the proximity of Detroit and Windsor.

"Culture goes beyond borders," helium said. "One of the galore absorbing things with Detroit is its euphony country — specifically its jazz scene. And it shows however that borderline of ours is really rather porous. That civilization transfers."

Bergers (Shepherds) (2024)

Canadian manager Sophie Desrape's most caller movie tells the communicative of a Montreal enforcement who abandons his over-stressed workaday beingness to determination to Provence, France, and rise sheep.

Featured during WIFF 2024, the play doesn't impact the U.S. But Georgie considers its taxable universal, transcending its French language. 

"The halfway connection of that movie is uncovering happiness, uncovering your bliss successful a peaceful way," helium said.

Aside from peculiar events similar the March 28 and 29 movie weekend, readying is underway for the 2025 variation of the Windsor International Film Festival this fall.

Although WIFF has attracted plentifulness of cross-border patrons successful the past, Georgie isn't peculiarly concerned that the existent Canada-U.S. commercialized warfare volition wounded attendance.

"Film attendance tends to spell up (in unusual times)," Georgie said. "We person an assemblage that is Canadian, we person an assemblage that is American. If those radical are capable to bent astir and speech to each different — that's the mission."