Junos vs Jutras: Why do we do this to ourselves?
Two of Canada's biggest cultural award ceremonies take place on the same night
So here we go again: Canada is once more split along cultural lines.
Witness last night’s two awards galas: music vs movies, Junos vs Jutras.
The Junos in Hamilton in an arena, the Jutras in Montreal in a centuries-old theatre, the Monument-National.
And of course, Culture Minister Shelagh Glover could only be at one, so she chose music, saying a few words of French to start off her introduction.
Unusually, there were even a few words of English heard, if not spoken, at the Jutras, as Rudy Barichello's film Meetings with a Young Poet was excerpted for its nominations.
Two ceremonies, two different dynamics
The music show skewed young over old and since Leonard Cohen is 80 and doesn’t show his face in arenas except when he’s performing, the Album of the Year winner was not there.
Instead it was the kids who took over: 26-year old Calgary singer/dancer Kiesza riding on the 200 million hits for her one-shot video for Hideaway.
And the shy artist behind The Weeknd, who never gives interviews, told the audience: "I want to thank Canada man -- thank you guys.
"I wouldn't be here without you."
In stark contrast, there were no soft-spoken thanks from Quebec actors and filmmakers.
In fact, many who might have had something to say didn’t get a chance because the notoriously articulate, argumentative Xavier Dolan monopolized the speaking moments going up and down the steps as he took Jutra after Jutra for his feature, Mommy.
There were, though, tears and genuine respect shown to 71-year-old director André Mélançon, winner of the Jutra Hommage.
He's remembered fondly for directing La guerre des toques, a feature film for kids about a snowball fight.
Mélançon watched with tears in his own eyes and, in saying thanks, shared his thoughts for today's filmmakers: "Surprise us, ask us questions, upset us, make us laugh, cry, think, dream."
"Take us to openness and empathy pour la suite du monde," he added, a reference to the title of a pioneering documentary by Michel Brault and Pierre Perrault.
The future of award shows and Canadian culture
In an awkward moment, Juno host and Hedley front man Jacob Hoggard joked, “Welcome to the very last Junos ever!” — alluding to low record sales and the popularity of downloading singles as opposed to purchasing whole albums.
Meanwhile, Félix award-winning director of photography André Turpin, in picking up the trophy for photography in Mommy, remarked on how well known Quebec cinema is around the world and how little watched it is here at home.
He pointed out that funding has just been cut for a program that took the five best films of the year to about 1,000 CEGEP students for discussion and debate.
The money for that program has just been cut by the provincial government, a cut Turpin called “deplorable.”
Jutras take glam prize
I was going to say that, of course, the Jutras were more glamorous, with Best Supporting Actress Suzanne Clément in a Tara Jarmon full white skirt and black sleeveless top and Best Director Xavier Dolan in a forest green Dries Van Noten suit.
Dolan's producer Nancy Grant looked striking in a Valentino dress, while Best Actor Antoine Olivier Pilon wore Philippe Dubuc.
But those guys from Magic! in their matching two-tone suits tried their best to glam up the Junos.
I think they need to check with Dolan and Olivier, though, to get a better fit for their cool suits. The squeezed in look is not really flattering.
Certainly, the Canadian girl who’s got the best look is one who’s been hanging out in London and New York, and starting her own fashion line. That would be Kiesza.
From the comfort of my downstairs sofa, I still say we’ve got the right attitude when we host these parties: make fun of ourselves and keep them short.
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