Cinema quotas will never work

Interesting article on Canadian cinema by Matthew Hays in last week's Mirror ["A nation in search of a film industry", Feb. 12], but his comparison of Cancon regulations for radio to quota requirements for cinema defies logic. Audience behaviour for the two media is totally different. Radio, TV and even newspapers try to develop audiences loyal to their style. Single-consumption media (films, books) have to convince the public to pay once for their product. Therefore, requiring an exhibition quota of, say, five-per-cent Canadian movies will not mean that these movies will be seen by anyone. The government will end up subsidizing not just the films themselves, but the movie theatres as well.

Sure, the odds are stacked against Canadian cinema when it comes to competing with the U.S. When the public is used to $100-million budgets, everything else looks cheap. So what should Canadian filmmakers do? Cash in their chips and play a different game: the production of independent movies. The irony is that we are getting beaten at that game, too. Aside from a few exceptions such as Kissed and The Hanging Garden, American independent movies have successfully carved their own niche market, complete with stars and fashionable directors.

The only reason Canadian cinema has not achieved similar success is that the movies are not as popular. And popularity, while not being everything, is certainly important. Cinema, after all, is meant to be seen by an audience. If Canadian filmmakers want their movies to be seen, quotas are certainly not the answer.

--John Bourassa-Dutton

Black community needs leadership

Black History Month is upon us. In the U.S.A., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day has passed. And it is obvious to me that the black community is lacking in quality leadership of the kind that Dr. King provided.

Much has been accomplished since the death of Dr. King. However, there is still a lot to accomplish, and who is going to take the black community in the right direction?

Since the death of Dr. King there has been no leadership for black people. The so-called leaders have been self-serving and self-promoting. Dr. King sacrificed personal gain for the black cause; the new leaders sacrifice the black cause for their personal gain.

Black leaders today are problem finders, not problem solvers. More energy needs to be spent on the advancement of black people rather than the acceptance of black people. Black people on many occasions are letting the government bail them out or solve their problems.

There are so many advantages today that in the past were only a dream. However, black people do not always take advantage of the freedom to vote and to receive an education. There are many people to be proud of, doctors, engineers and scientists. However, there is a growing acceptance of underachievement in the black community.

Dr. King would be upset to see what has happened. However, all it takes is a dream.

--Brandon Gordon

Rebagliati a totally trippin' hero

I have been watching these Olympics, and Elvis Stojko is okay and all that--after all, he did get a silver medal. But I figure that anyone with his experience shouldn't be affected by a few minor aches and pains from like a pulled groin muscle or pinched nerves or the flu--you know what I mean, dude? If he'd really tried he could have got that gold medal. Like, what's the big deal about doing a few jumps and spins anyway?

On the other hand, look at "the Man" man, Ross Rebagliati. Now there's a rad dude if there ever was one. Hey man, like getting gold for sliding down a slope faster than anyone else and all the time severely handicapped and mellowed out by that marijuana he accidentally inhaled, well that is a gold medal performance if I ever saw one. Like I had to tape it and replay it several times, dude--fog was a bit heavy in the room, if you know what I mean.

Compare Elvis and Ross? What's to compare, man, apples and oranges? Have another toke, dude.

--Andre Sponselee

Correction

In the article titled "The world needs more Helens" published in the Feb. 3 issue of the Mirror, the name of Dr. Akhtar Naraghi, the woman responsible for creating an international prize in honour of Dr. Helen Caldicott, was misspelled. The Mirror apologizes for the error.