Canada's Hollywood: The Canadian State and Feature Films

Kelly J. Saxberg is a freelance writer and filmmaker in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

Originally a doctoral thesis, this book details the social, economic,
and political forces that have shaped the struggling feature-film
industry in Canada. Magder examines and analyzes the major reports and
commissions charged with examining Canada’s cultural policy, and
places them within a historical context that includes a hard look at
U.S. cultural imperialism and business interests. He deals with the
“Question of Dependency,” the French–English Canada dichotomy, the
role of the National Film Board, independent producers, the distribution
system, and, most significantly, the evolution of government funding
agencies.

While the book is well written and carefully referenced, the narrative
is somewhat clouded by the complexity of the political maneuvering and
the economic forces examined by the author. There is an ambitious
attempt to reveal relations between various parties that have a stake in
the industry, but the chronology of events and themes such as
international recognition, artistic impetus, and labor relations become
submerged within the greater discussion of the political wrangling and
economic forces at play.

Nevertheless, the book does reveal the role of the Canadian state
during the formation of a Canadian film industry, and is, therefore, an
extremely useful resource for both policy-makers and producers. Magder
offers an interesting discussion of the seemingly contradictory goals of
cultural sovereignty and an economically viable industry. The future of
the Canadian feature-film industry is presented in a thoughtful manner
that takes into account competition and support emanating from
television, home video, and the vast new technologies that are changing
the delivery systems and shape of popular culture. In sum, Magder’s
well-argued examination of a complex industry, one intimately linked to
a Canadian national identity, makes his book an important contribution
to the literature on the subject.