TLMEP Overview of May 6

This past Sunday was the last episode of Tout le monde en parle for this year. The Tous les autres en parlent team, myself, Dominic and Sylvie, each had challenges this week and we've been a little late in producing our notes. We apologize for the delay, but the good news is we have a few months to recharge our batteries and tackle this project head on in September.


That doesn't mean this site will become completely quiet... watch this space for more in the coming days and weeks.


Cheers,
Tim

Action-Packed and Star-Studded!

Not long after being named general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, you knew Marc Bergevin would have questions to answer. The native of Pointe-Saint-Charles is happy to be back in Montreal, even if he never saw himself good enough to play for the Canadiens.
Read Dominic's in-depth summary of the interview with Bergevin.


Charles Lafortune, the television host, is very interested in what Bergevin has to say about the Canadien--he actually walks in unannounced during Bergevin's interview and usurps the interview!

Not to be outdone, Denise Filiatrault walks on stage unannounced (or rather, announced as Lafortune!) to tell us about this summer's line-up at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, including a first production of Une vie presque normale, a French-language adaptable of the accalaimed Next to Normal.

But let's come back to Lafortune. He hosted hosted this year's gala for the Artis awards we spoke about last week. How fun was it? Watch and see:



He also talks about rumours running of him hosting a talk-show, and the Quebec version of The Voice. (The rumours about The Voice have since been confirmed. The Gazette says it's an adaptation of NBC's show, but NBC's is an adaptation of the original The Voice of Holland.)

But that's not the only reason why he's here. He tells us about his challenges with his autistic son, Mathis, and the work they do at the foundation he's spokesperson for, À pas de géant/Giant Steps, that offers resources for families with issues with autism. It's an area that lacks resources, mostly because it's not a deadly disease, there's no solution to it, and there's no pharmacological response to capitalize. Among other things, Giant steps help get autistic youth a one-on-one education.

Lafortune speaking about autism:

Syndicats and Syndicates

Jean Poirier, general president of the Machinists' union representing employees at Aveos, where 1,800 Montrealers lost their jobs on March 19; Magali Picard, who is alternate regional executive vice president for Quebec of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and speaks for the some 17,000 federal public servants whose jobs are at risk of being cut; and Marc Maltais is president of the Steelworkers (Métallos) local for Alma that are in a lock-out from the Rio Tinto Alcan smelter since January 1 (Happy New Year!).

The union leaders accuses the federal government of interpreting the laws in a way that fits its agenda. That means not holding Air Canada to its legal obligation to keep jobs in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto--Poirier expects them to move to El Salvador--and using back-to-work legislation when they want certain people to work, like in the case of other Air Canada employees. To quote Poirier: "Le gouvernement conservateur [...] présentement est un dictateur--c'est clair, net et précis." (The Conservative government, presently is a dictator--that much is crystal clear.) That statement is met with applause and a standing ovation.

Maltais reminds us that the positions the Harper government wants to abolish are not just boondoggle paper-shifters, but real people who provide real essential services: search and rescue responders, food inspectors (the 100 positions created after a series of listeriosis crises are now abolished); the site inspectors at Transport Canada that check the airplanes in the sky... inspections that, if Poirier is right, will be outsourced to El Salvador.

In the case of Rio Tinto Alcan, they denounce the Quebec government, who buy through Hydro-Québec (a Crown corporation), buying the excess electricity that the idling plant is generating, essentially subsidizing them to the tune of 14,5M$.

Watch the interview with the union leaders.

Switching gears, we talk with Stéphane Rousseau and Luc Dionne to talk about the upcoming film, Omertà. The film is inspired by the television series about the Italian mafia that aired on Radio-Canada in the late 90s. View the trailer.

We talk about Rousseau's experience with shady characters, and his time in France making films and doing stand-up. (We assume these are two separate events.) Luc Dionne talks about doing the West Wing-style mini-series, Bunker, le cirque.

Louise Latraverse tells us about National Mental Health Week, from May 7 to 13. Mental health problems cost the Canadian economy $51 billion annually; 500,000 people are home sick from work on any given day due to mental health issues.

Rémy Couture is quite right in the head, but the police accuse him of corrupting social morals and encouraging sexual deviance by way of his gory special effects website. He is now awaiting a court case, facing a two-year sentence and a criminal record. He deplores the fact that this goes beyond just censorship, but outright criminalization of speech. To show his craft, the guests are "handed" a dismembered arm (moulded on his own) and a juicy brain (he won't say where he got the mould for that!). A website has been started to support his cause.

We close the season with a crop of upcoming young atheletes that are looking forward to competing in the London Olympic Games this summer.

• The judoka Sergio Pessoa is born in Brazil and speaks French wonderfully well after only seven years living here. He's proud to represent his adopted country and wouldn't trade it for Brazil or the world. Sergio's father competed in judo in Seoul and is now his personal coach.
• Synchronized swimmer Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon is preparing for her second Olympic games. The Canadian syncrhonized swimming team worked hard to qualify early, so that they would be able to develop their program in hiding and not show their hand to other national teams in other world competitions.
• Swimmer Charles Francis, going into his first Olympic competition, says he needs to find the equilibrium between focus and living in the moment.
• Audrey Lacroix, also a swimmer, will be competing in her second Games. In recent years, she's been struggling with anxiety, which had its toll and shook her confidence. Since September she's done a lot of work with psychologists to improve her situation and be at her full potential.

TLMEP interview with Marc Bergevin

The show was recorded on Thursday May 3^rd, 24 hours after Marc Bergevin was announced as the new General Manager and Vice-President of Hockey Operations for The Montreal Canadiens.

MB left Quebec 30 years ago and now he’s back – did he come home or get traded yet again? MB says he’s come home.

MB has performed a lot of roles in hockey: defenceman, scout, assistant coach, director of player personel and assistant GM, to name a few. Guy wonders if there’s anything MB hasn’t done? Drive the Zamboni would be the answer. Which, he points out, is also something Patrick Roy has likely never done. MB is asked if he’ll meet Saint Patrick (that’s what Quebecois call Patrick Roy. If ever you needed more reasons why the Montreal Canadiens are considered more a religion than a hockey team) and the short is answer is he’s not sure – apparently the people that would advise him in the Saint-Patrick case aren’t here at the moment to help him answer that question. Or decide, I suppose.

Asked if the Habs are amochés (Bruised and beaten) or pas trop maganés (not too worse for wear) he responds they’re amochés but that the right elements are in place.

Did MB ever dream of being part of the organisation? As a player, he held Montreal in a class apart from most other teams in the league. He would have loved to play for them but never considered himself good enough.

Journalists in Montreal were a bit of a surprise for MB – he never expected that many. Just that morning he was being honked at in the street even!

Asked about scouting in Quebec, he quickly responded: If you’re Quebecois, you can play with us.

MB great qualities as a hockey player? Team first kinda fella. He’ll be the same in this new role.

MB is quite the practical joker and he explains one where he couldn’t sleep and it was 6am, so he changed the clocks in the room to 8am, woke up his roommate to tell him they were late. They scrambled to get ready and by the time they were downstairs, panicky roommate and all, they were fine.

At this point Charles Lafortune arrives to participate – says MB if fun and it’s too boring to stay back there waiting – he wants to participate right away. And so he asks what MB will do to make it more fun in the organization – especially considering that M. Gauthier was more like Urgel Bourgie. MB answer quite nice – “winning is fun.”

Asked about the family situation MB confirms his kids (3 of ‘em between 11 and 14, I think) were not terribly pleased but as a family man and dad, it’s his job to take care of them so he’ll do what he needs to do.

After talking about the devotion his parents showed to his hockey love he’s asked about how he’d attract free agent players to Montreal: This is the capital of hockey, this is where the fans are the most passionate. There is no better place to play.

Large contracts can be a good idea – depending on the player. Chicago has 3 large contracts, they’re working out ok. What about Carey Price? Would you sign him to a 10-year deal? Marc says we’ll see.

Charles asks about Russian players and their rep – Yeah, they’re a bit of a risk because of the attractiveness of the KHL and the lack of transfer agreement (see Radulov saga in Nashville). (MB turns and give Charles a friendly smack while laughing – you can tell he’s pretty comfortable about the whole dilly-o, says he likes it here!)

MB talks a bit about Price and Subban, quite honestly in fact, and Guy finds this surprising. MB response is golden: “you ask me questions, I answer ‘em” as if to say, what’s the problem? Is there a problem here? I don’t see a problem. Love the guy.

Asked about the decisions regarding Radulov and Kostitsyn in Nashville – he would support the coach’s decisions.

MB thinks fights can be a problem despite there needing a place to “reglé nos comptes” – the goon era is over though (he’s had 55 or 56 fights in his career.)

Dany presents his card: With the great number of teams you’ve worked for, you’d have the right to have the Habs tattooed not over your heart but on your bottom.

TLMEP interview with Lucian Bute - April 29

Guy's intro to Lucian? Quand il est dans le ring, y'a des hommes qui tombent - When he's in the ring, men will fall.

M. Bute was supposed to be on the episode on December 31, 2011 but could not make it; why? Well, in mid-December he took his exam to become a Canadian citizen and on the 31st he was... (actually, he never tells us specifically why he wasn't there on 12/31. Hey!) Lucian arrived in Canada in 2003, no French, no English. He spent 6 months at Université de Montréal learning French as part of his goal to become like us - to have the Canadian passport, to be able to vote. He became a citizen on March 26, 2012. He's very proud of his passport - he even has it with him as he essentially just got off the plane from Florida.

Let's talk boxing! Lucian's been training in Florida in preparation for May 26th when he will confront former WBF World Champion Carl Froch in Nottingham, England. Asked about going abroad to defend his IBF title, Bute talks about how it was his choice to go there. He knows he'll be in enemy territory, but he'll have all of Quebec behind him so he's not worried. "When I hear Quebecois at ringside yelling in French, it'll lift me up". Froch was quoted as saying Bute was either very confident or very stupid for coming to England for this fight. Bute believes he's just showing he's willing to do whatever he needs to prove he's the best. It's less money in England, even than it would have been in Montreal.

Initially Bute wanted to fight Andre Ward but Ward countered with some trash talk - Bute needs to pay his dues first so M. Froch it shall be. Besides, for Lucian now, it's all about the next fight, not the one after - even though it most certainly is his goal to fight the best in the world.

Dany wants to know about the coaches - Lucian is so nice, how do the coaches get him to fight? It's about work ethic. "I don't need to trash talk, the best will win." Apparently M. Bute has never even told another boxer he's smelly.

Adonis Stevenson (a guest on TLMEP on Feb 26, 2012 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfeWRaM2SMc) had a few interesting things to say about Bute then. When watching the clip, Lucian looks quietly amused. "Yes, he and I sparred, yes, in the 5th round he hit me with an uppercut that hurt me but I didn't fall. Now in the same sparring session, in the 12th round I hit him with a left that left him stunned."

Asked who hits the hardest, Lucian responds: Berrio, Glen Johsnon. Wait, Glen Johnson's your sparring partner? M. Bute responds that sparring partners are there to help, so they can't be nice. They have to push you.

One fight HBO would like to see is Bute vs. Jean Pascal but that would involve Bute going up a category - from 168 lbs to 175. He'd still love to do it - what with JP's international credibility, it would mean a lot.

It's very hard to change weight category though - everything changes, from diet to exercise. The hardest is going down - it's nearly impossible for a boxer to lose muscle mass.

Dany presents Lucian with a wonderful card (I like Dany's cards and he seems so honest when giving it out, to the point of wondering if Lucian can even read it. Which he does) "Quebec will be behind you in the ring and since the French lost in 1759 it's now up to you to get revenge."

Why this matters: Bute is 30-0 right now and is a Southpaw. This fight will likely be his toughest and it will open many doors for bigger and better things.

Bute wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucian_Bute

Quebec's been behind Bute for some time now and we love to watch him win. He's had many fights in Quebec City and in Montreal and he's contributed greatly to the popularity of the sport here in Quebec. GO LUCIAN!

TLMEP Interview with Xavier Dolan

Written by Sylvie Lupien. Merci mille fois, Sylvie!

Dolan enters the set with the song "Tout le monde aime Xavier Dolan". Dolan is here to talk about his film "Laurence Anyways" who was nominated at the Cannes Film Festival but not in line for the prestigeous Palme d'or award; it is being screened outside of the competition (hors compétition). He wants to set the record straight because in the press he was perceived as being childish and spoiled for reacting negatively for not being in competition.

Everyone thinks that this young man is brilliant, articulate and should appreciate his luck. Well, that is where Xavier Dolan gets interesting, I think. He further explains that the press for the last year, has written that his movie should and would be nominated and then, last week, he, we, find out that it isn't.

"Yeah I was disappointed," he says. But not only that, its has been eleven years since the last nomination for "Les Invasions Barbares" (The Barbarian Invasions) by Denys Archand. No one will convince me, Dolan says, that there hasn't been a good movie, here in Quebec, over the last eleven years. We have the talent, we have the knowledge, we are capable, we are proud; therefore we should dream of the ultimate dream and push for it. We should not be quiet and accept other peoples' conclusions on our movies or anything else for that matter. Culture is what makes us human and he believes that in every bone in his body. He is ambitious, he wants to dream bigger than life, he wants it all and believes everyone should do the same if that is what they want. He hates that in school, teachers say things such as: Tu rêves en couleur (you're dreaming in Technicolor). "We, in Qc, have the talent, the courage the ability and the obligation to dream big, to believe the Hollywood dream. We are survivers. If we want Quebec to be a country, then we can dream of being the best. Why the hell not?" he says. He is a proud trooper! "Tink big, ostie," comme dirait Elvis Gratton!

On Twitter, the reaction to his interview was immediate. It was positive, if only because people view him as being arrogant and pretentious. The way much of the Twitter population sees it is, you don't get where he is now by being silent, conservative and precocious. You need to make waves, oser, make a scene to get what you want or, you end up living your life like a québécois expression: Né pour un petit pain! Dolan does not want that and he wishes the Quebec population would arise above also.

Why is this interview important?

• Xavier Dolan is the youngest director to have been nominated three times at the Cannes Festival
• He has written and directed three films, J'ai tué ma mère, Les amours imaginaires, Laurence Anyways
• The subjects of his three films have never been dealt with before, at least not the way he wrote them. He is daring with the subject he choses...very personal except for Laurence Anyways who is fictionnal and not "autobiographique"
• He financed his first movies by doing dubbing movies into French (du doublage), such as the caracter Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies. He did this when he was young and still does it today. He even called Warner's Brother studio to complain that the doublage should not be done in a french from France. He thought it was a mistake since their expression are not understood by most french population.

Read more about Dolan's appearance at showbizz.com

TLMEP Interview with the Student Protest Leaders

UPDATE: Added the Youtube video of the entire interview at the bottom of the blog entry. Thank you to GASMORG on Youtube for posting a high-quality, sound-synchronized version.

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois is co-spokesperson for CLASSE
Martine Desjardins is president of FEUQ
Léo Bureau-Blouin is president of FECQ, the Quebec Federation of Cegep students

Source: Le Soleil

The leaders are introduced with a play on word that cannot I cannot do justice by translating: « Ils font le ménage à trois du printemps québécois. » Just remember: faire le ménage means housekeeping, you know what ménage à trois means, and ménage du printemps is the same as spring cleaning.

The threesome are met with applause and a standing ovation. Many of those standing are wearing the red square badge, including fellow guest Xavier Dolan... who wasn't wearing one ten minutes ago!

Altogher, these three leaders represent 175,000 cegep and university students on strike (or boycotting classes, if you are concerned with abusing the term "on strike") for the past twelve weeks now in protest against the government's plans to raise tuition.

Minister of education Line Beauchamp invited student leaders to meet early last week, on the condition that there was a 48-hour stop ("trêve", "truce") of all economic disruption. After some wrangling, all three student leaders met with the minister for some 40-odd hours.

Bureau-Blouin: They were ready to listen and negotiate. They were prepared to walk away from the table with concrete proposals to take back to students for voting. But the minister applied different standards to the different associations, in deciding to kick CLASSE out of the talks after they were accused of organizing a protest during the "truce." This short-circuited any negotiation with all three of the groups. Desjardins pointed out that her federation, FEUQ, did organize protests during the truce, notably in Rimouski, and yet they were not kicked out. "Il y avait deux poids, deux mesures dans cette circonstance-là" ("There was a double-standard in this case").

Nadeau-Dubois points out that the accusation stems from a link the CLASSE website has to an open Facebook group, upon which a user organized a protest. It was not sanctioned or encouraged by CLASSE. In his opinion, the minister invited thinking she could divide the student groups at the table. Once faced with a block standing in solidarity, "elle n'avait pas le choix de retourner sur la vieille stratégie de diviser pour mieux régner" (she had no choice but to return to the old strategy of divide and conquer) and to do that, she kicked the CLASSE out.

Does the minister have anything personal against you, Nadeau-Dubois is asked. It's not between the minister and Nadeau-Dubois, or minister and the CLASSE. It's between the 180,000 students (he gives a different number from Guy A. in the intro) fighting for "accessibility to studies," and against a government he accuses of being corrupt, and whose credibility is being undermined more and more with each passing week.

Guy A. asks: There has been a lot of clashing (grabuge), thugs (casseurs) in the protests in recent days... Does the federation control their members? BB says yes, but reminds us that when one organizes demonstrations with tens of thousands of people, it can happen that some ill-intentioned people can infiltrate the event.

What's important, suggests BB, is that the vast majority of demonstrations have been peaceful, and among the thugs is "toute une génération qui se lève et qui fait un cri du coeur" (a whole generation that is rising up and making a plea from their heart.)

Normally it's the children who should be listening to their parents, but today we have hundreds of thousands of youth asking their parents and their government to be heard, "parce que c'est nous les jeunes qui devons vivre les conséquences de ces décisions" (because it is us, the youth, who will have to live with the consequences of these decisions.)

CLASSE has a lot of direct democratic processes that the minister finds student association's structure heavy and difficult. In fact, all the student federations involve their memebership in the decision-making process, through general assemblies, votes by raised hand and secret ballot at time. Nadeau-Dubois finds the minister's confusion normal: "le parti libéral du Québec et la démocratie, ça semble en effet avoir une relation compliqué" (the Quebec Liberal Party and democracy do seem to have a troubled relationship). But it's the implication of the membership in the decision-making, rather than a top-down approach, that helps drive and mobilize them.

Not just a pretty face.
Source: Le Soleil via Le Globe

Let's take a quick break here. Xavier Dolan keeps making googley eyes across the set, and is blushing, laughing... What's going on? Guy A. sets the stage, by quoting Dolan from earlier last week: "Il est très, très éloquent, il m'impressionne beaucoup et aussi je trouve--mais bon, c'est sans importance--qu'il est très sexy." 

Dolan, blushing and laughing, reaffirms: Bravo pour le bon travail. Nadeau-Dubois returns the compliment "sans aucune gène, ni malaise" (without any embarrassment or unease... and yet he has a little difficulty making eye contact), saying Dolan makes great films.

Turcotte rubs salt in the wound by pointing out the newly appeared red patch on Dolan's jacket. Dolan, now struggling to contain himself, explains he meant to wear his but forgot it at home, and so he had to borrow one before the interview with the student leaders began.

Okay, okay... back to democracy. Desjardins feels the government has nothing to Quebec Liberal party has no right to lecture the students on democratic principles, when they perform general assemblies and votes by raising hands (le vote à main levée). The Libs work exactly the same way in their conventions! And the alternative, the secret ballot, leads to even higher numbers in support of the protests, so it's not to the government's advantage, anyhow.

The federations never encouraged violence without denouncing them either, at first. Then the vandalism, the fighting. Do you denounce it now? Bureau-Blouin says there is no doubt they condemned violence from the outset, that the movement go on peacefully, and he appeals to the student public again to continue to demonstrate pacifically. What concerns him is that the Quebec government knew in cutting off the talks that it would spur violence, and questions if that was not ultimately their true intention.

Is the semester scrapped? Bureau-Blouin says it's not worthwhile to cancel the entire term, as it will cause problems cascading problems for people finishing high school and looking to find seats in cegeps.

How busy are these guys? They can't count the hours they do, but they've done about 30 interviews on the day of taping. (Later, on the Téléjournal newscast, he hear about how news of the demonstrations is making international headlines... They must be even busier now!) But the work of these three pales in comparison to the hard work the leaders in individual colleges and universities are doing to rally the troops, hold the picket lines and organize the general assemblies and votes.

Guest Louis-Gilles Francoeur, journalist with Le Devoir, finds what these leader are living is essentially a course "applied political science." He is pleased to see a renaissance of the spirit that he thought dead after the 60s.

On March 28, support against the tuition hikes was at 45% in survey; on April 16 it's gone as low as 38%. What happened? Bureau-Blouin: The message in the public has been consistent--that they don't want to empty taxpayers' pockets, that there are plenty of savings to be made in universities and the organization. But the violence helped lose the message.

Spoken like a true politician, he says: C'est aussi bien sûr que toutes les violences, les débordements sur lesquelles on a mis beaucoup les projecteurs ont peut-être pas aidé dans ce sens-là (For sure, also, all of the violence and overflowing that the screens have been focused on have not helped in this regard.)

Dany's card, to all three leaders: IT'S RED, instead of the usual green! It reads: "Vous êtes l'avenir du Québec. S'il vous plait profitez à plein de vos études afin que nos futurs gouvernements soient plus matures, intègeres et visionaires." You are the future of Quebec. Please make the most of your studies, so that our future governments may be more mature, integral et visionary.

Video of the interview:

© 2012 Radio-Canada. Shared on Youtube by GASMORG

TLMEP Summary of April 29

Tout le monde gagne!

Patrice L'Écuyer, Denis Bouchard and Gino Chouinard are invited on the set to explain how they reacted to winning le prix Artis, presented at a Gala broadcast on TVA last Sunday. Denis Bouchard won best male role in a television show for the drama following the lives of crown attorneys, Toute la vérité (The Whole Truth). Gino Chouinard, weekday host of the most popular morning show in Quebec, Salut, bonjour!, won best host for a service broadcast (émission de service), and Patrice L'Écuyer won for best host for a game show, L'Union fait la force. As they all say, its always nice and honoring to be chosen!

Lucian Bute know something about winning. The current IBF Super Middleweight champion, and recent Canadian citizen, is prepared to face Carl Froch on May 26 in Nottingham, England.

The 23-year-old actor, director, screen writer, Xavier Dolan, comes on the set tonite to speak about his disappointment for not being selected in the official run at the Cannes Festival's Palme d'Or for his third movie Laurence Anyways. It will be, now the third time, being selected but never in the official competition--once for writing and directing J'ai tué ma mère (I Killed My Mother), then for Les Amours imaginaires (entitled Heartbeats in English). He admits being disappointed, but not for dreaming and being ambitious. He would of like to have had the opportunity to be selected honoring Quebec where talent is growing and for all the young directors out there who wish to make it in the business. He is not humble about his success, he is not going to down play it. Dolan is proud of what he has accomplished and will not be quiet about it.

• Read our in-depth review of Xavier Dolan's interview on TLMEP, by Sylvie Lupien.

Following the North Star

Journalists Raymond Saint-Pierre from Radio-Canada and Louis-Gilles Francoeur from Le Devoir, talk to us about the North, in the governments' plans and in reality on the ground, and why it's important that everyone understand the issues and demand to have their say in the decisions being made.

Some couples do everything together. Marie-Ève Janvier and Jean-François Breau take it to an extreme: they live together, work together, make albums together and even put on a show together! How do they do on TLMEP together?

Oui, chefs!

Are you a "food-porn" addict? Then you'll be happy to hear chef Daniel Vézina's the upcoming season of Les chefs! on Radio-Canada is starting back up on June 27. That's supposing you haven't gotten enough out of his show on the channel Zeste, or his other show on the channel Zeste... or his new show with his son on channel Zeste!

Do too many cooks spoil the broth? Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesperson for student association LA CLASSE, and Martine Desjardins and Léo Bureau-Blouin, presidents of FEUQ and FECQ student groups respectively, have kept up their student protests using a potent recipe of direct democracy, solidarity, boycotting and (mostly) peaceful pressure for the past twelve weeks. They're turning up the heat... Will it bring the government to a boil?

• Read the extensive summary of the interview with Nadeau-Dubois, Desjardins and Bureau-Blouin.

TLMEP Interview with Christian Bégin - April 22

Christian Bégin is a busy man – acting in a new play for Juste pour rire this summer, writing a new play now being performed, starting on TV and raising a teenager. Is there anything he can’t do?

Prénom, adapted for Quebec, from the French play of the same name will show in the summer during just for laughs. It’s a 5-character diddy that takes place at a dinner party in one evening. Should be interesting.

His third play, just finished and now showing, explores sadness and isolation and questions why we are so alone. CB thinks there’s a glorification of the ME and that our participation in so many virtual worlds is making it worse. Relief and salvation will come only when we sincerely believe others are as important as we are. (It is here that I begin to understand that CB has some interesting insight to offer. Yup, I had prejudice walking in to this interview) If only our governments could take the lead on this, we’d be doing so much better.

His critically acclaimed TV series (aired on Tele-Quebec) Bar Ouvert was cancelled and CB is sad at this even though his mother was quite pleased. The show was weird and pushed the boundaries of taste and may have even been disconcerting at times but it was still magical in its creativity.

CB recounts an amusing anecdote involving getting two denver boots in two weeks because of address changes not being done in one office vs. another. His fines would be sent to an old address and yet they found his car. Twice.

Speaking about his part – David Roche – in the prime time drama series Trauma, he’s asked how close to reality the portrayal is. Well, this is fiction, so there must be exaggeration for effect.

Talking about his teenaged son Théophile, he’s worried; worried that his son is about to live his first true heartbreak as a member of CLASSE. He doesn’t believe the students will win this battle. Although Théo will suffer heartbreak, CB thinks this will have good positive consequences for his son’s character. CB thinks he understands why (at the time of the recording of the show) CLASSE had not officially condoned the violence and that is because he thinks the government wants to undermine the students as much as possible and possibly discredit the movement altogether (take a moment, it’s not that far-fetched a notion). Asked if he believes this is the Printemps Quebecois, he’s not so sure. Maybe in a dozen years we’ll think back to 2012 and see it a turning point… as a final thought CB offers this beautiful insight: (…, paraphrasing a little) we need to denounce things. Change only comes from opportunity or revelation; not through individual thought.

Why this matters: CB is a well-known character actor and entertainer. Like all guests of his profession before him, this is the simple continuation of growing our arts culture. At least this guy’s quirkily interesting and talented. Check out his rant from TLMEP in 2010.