This day happens to be the 142nd anniversary of Canada. While we've always been able to export our music and literature, we're entering an era where more and more movies and TV series are produced in this country. Let's wish the best for you, Canada! Finally, I leave you with my top five Canadian films and a 10-questions quiz to see how well you know this country (foreign readers, you're invited to take it).
 | Lost and Delirious I may be repeating myself, but although I've seen few teen films, this one is possibly the best I've seen from this genre. While some teen films tries to make you laugh as much as possible, this one doesn't give a business if it's depressing. All in all, this is a film about teenagers trying to mentally get older (i.e. the film deals with homosexuality in an all-girl boarding school) or not trying. |
 | Maurice Richard (The Rocket) This is a biopic about a French Canadian hockey player struggling to play professional hockey (which he'll manage). It's a film that talks about the time when many English Canadians (who form the majority of the population) were racist towards French Canadians (and vice versa). Although the film comes from Quebec, a province where most people speak French as their mother tongue, the film skilfully avoids demagoguery. |
 | Where the Truth Lies Some will say that this erotic thriller is not the best film from director Atom Egoyan (I haven't seen The Sweet Hereafter, yet). Nonetheless, given the international reputation he has, Egoyan manages to display an effort to make a provocative film (the way he likes it) and, at the same time, a mainstream film for the masses. All in all, although the script is far to be perfect, watch it for the intense performance from the trio made of Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and Alison Lohman. |
 | My Life Without Me Watch this if you want to see Sarah Polley showcasing her talent. Besides being less boring than Michael McGowan's One Week, this film manages to convey the idea that life is beautiful and that one must always enjoy it despite having few weeks to live. |
 | Pontypool Not as visually flashy as 28 Weeks Later, another independent horror flick, but Pontypool is sure as good (if not better) as its British competitor. Besides having an original script (people become zombies by using specific words in the English language), the film also shows us that suggestions can be frightening. |
1. Besides being the name of a city that was founded in 1883, the word "Saskatoon" also refers to what? | |
| a) A tactic in hockey | b) A berry |
| c) A tree | d) A rifle |
2. Which Canadian city is known as the only city in Canada where we can't turn right on a red light? | |
| a) Montreal | b) Toronto |
| c) Quebec City | d) Vancouver |
3. Established in 1973 in Dawson City, Yukon, this drink is considered as the most disgusting Canadian drink. Which one is it? | |
| a) Bloody Caesar | b) Molson Canadian |
| c) Sleeman | d) Sourtoe Cocktail |
4. Who created For Better or For Worse, a very famous comic strip? | |
| a) Lynn Johnston | b) Roch Carrier |
| c) Antonine Maillet | d) Louis Riel |
5. In which TV series are we following a 32-years old woman sent into the past by a therapist in order to fix her greatest regrets in life? | |
| a) Durham County | b) Terminal City |
| c) Life With Derek | d) Being Erica |
| 6. When did the Canadian war of independence against the British occur (which are known as the Lower-Canada Rebellion and the Upper-Canada Rebellion)? | |
| a) 1837-1838 | b) 1791 |
| c) 1867 | d) 1931 |
7. Although Canadians use the British spelling system, which one of these, in the Canadian spelling system, is one of the few words written the same way it is in the American spelling system? | |
| a) Center | b) Program |
| c) Jeweler | d) None of them |
8. What is the name of the rifle used by the Canadian army? | |
| a) M16 | b) M4 Carbine |
| c) C7 | d) M16A2 |
9. In September 1972, the Summit Series, a competition of hockey between Canada and the USSR, was held. How did Canada win the series? | |
| a) Four wins, three defeats and one tie | b) Four wins |
| c) Four wins and two defeats | d) Four wins and one defeat |
10. Which entertainmnet company was founded in 1984? | |
| a) Cavalia | b) Cirque du Soleil |
| c) Zero Gravity Circus | d) Carnivàle Lune Bleue |
