Birks Diamond Tribute Interviews: Marie Clements + Sophie Dupuis
“When I transitioned over to filmmaking I was inspired to do the same out of a need to tell stories that were true to an Indigenous and inter-cultural experience and were striving for an excellence that held up process and inclusion as a means to not only give witness but give voice.”
Tomorrow, just before TIFF 2019 kicks off, there’s a very special event happening. It’s a tribute gala (that’s cool) to celebrate women in film (yes!), and specifically Canadian women in film (YES YES YES).
The film industry is hard enough to navigate as a woman or underrepresented group, but it can be even more interesting/challenging/insert adjective depending on your mood in Canada. And we have SO many talented Canadian women working in film/TV industry too. Sarah Polley! Alanis Obomsawin! Iris Ng! Stella Meghie!
So when we had the opportunity to chat with two of the honourees of the 2019 Birks Diamond Tribute to the Year’s Women in Film, we jumped at it. Like we already mentioned, we love a good celebration, especially when it’s in support of Canadian women in film and you want to add some diamonds to the mix? Excellent.
Director Micheline Lanctôt; actors Wendy Crewson and Jean Yoon; screenwriter Marie Clements; and emerging directors Jasmin Mozaffari and Sophie Dupuis are this year’s honourees. Get to know their names, people!! And not only do they get this awesome party but they’ll be getting an honorarium from Birks to support their next project.
“This year’s honourees are telling our country’s powerful, touching and sometimes comical stories to the world, and we are looking forward to bringing them together to celebrate their incredible body of work.” — Christa Dickenson, Executive Director, Telefilm Canada
Read our interview with Marie Clements and Sophie Dupuis below!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got involved with filmmaking.
Marie Clements: I started out as an actor, then writer and director in theatre and then started my own theatre company so I could produce stories that I was passionate to tell in a way that I wanted to tell them. When I transitioned over to filmmaking I was inspired to do the same out of a need to tell stories that were true to an Indigenous and inter-cultural experience and were striving for an excellence that held up process and inclusion as a means to not only give witness but give voice.
Sophie Dupuis: I always wanted to tell stories and bring people into my world. When I was young, I made all kinds of little shows in my basement. I’m sure my parents were tired of seeing them at some point. At that time, I thought I wanted to be an actress, but one day, I discovered the power of cinema. Since then, I have put everything I have into focusing on that medium. I think that my interest in performing brought me to my deep passion for filmmaking, which is directing actors.
What are your thoughts on the current state of working in the Canadian film/TV industry as a woman?
MC: I think there’s still a lot to be done but I am very fortunate to be able to see change happening while also understanding that nothing is a given. Real change takes continued investment and it takes women in the room to continue to push forward. I am very grateful for the generations of women before me whose shoulders we stand on.
SD: I think things are moving in a good direction. I can feel that mentalities are changing in the industry. People are more interested in working with women. I’m noticing a lot more respect and admiration for our work. I may have only worked in the industry for a couple of years, but I’ve never felt disrespected or discriminated against on any of my film sets. I don’t feel like I have to prove myself just because I’m a woman.
But I can see we’re not done tackling this topic worldwide, feminists still have a million reasons to be pursuing change. Although sometimes, I’m tired of interviews that only focus on the fact that I’m a woman. I think the next step for the cause will be to avoid differentiating between female filmmakers and filmmakers (male filmmakers).
What does being honoured at this event mean to you?
MC: There is something about not having to compete and still be recognized which I find almost emotional. It seems you compete to get your ideas to screen through funding juries and broadcasters, you are put in a competitive position when you are nominated for awards, and you compete against yourself constantly to push harder, be smarter. So for a group of industry people to get together and recognize you and recognize your work… to honour you, feed you, and let you wear diamonds… it doesn’t get better than this.
Can you tell us about some women you’ve worked alongside in past and present projects?
MC: I was lucky to work alongside fellow producers Lael McCall, Michelle Morris and WIDC head Carol Whiteman and Paula Danckert to make Red Snow happen despite the outstanding challenges. I was so fortunate to work with the National Film Board’s Shirley Vercruysse, Teri Snelgrove and Jennifier Roworth on The Road Forward. I have a long list of women powerhouses who I have worked beside and want to work alongside and I would also like to acknowledge my mother, sister and aunties because they set a very high bar at a very young age.
SD: I would like to highlight some women behind the camera who are rarely talked about. I worked with a lot of strong, awesome women in the industry, and would love to name them all. Just to name a few:
Dominique Fortin is a very sensitive editor. You can feel the love in her work.
Mélanie Gauthier is THE post-production director for almost every Quebec filmmaker over the last decade. We wouldn’t be able to do it without her.
Jeanne Leblanc is a great emerging director who was also one of the best assistant directors in Montréal.
Héléna Laliberté is a formidable stunt coordinator working in a male-dominated industry. Very inspiring.
Patricia McNeil is a creative and unique costume designer.
Caroline Bodson and her magnificent team of costume designers are also a force to be reckoned with.
Marie Salvado is a great make-up artist. Wise, always relevant, and with the deepest emotional intelligence I have ever seen (which is always good for actors she’s working with).
Geneviève Dubé beautifully runs one of the departments I find the most impressive: movie props.
What’s the best advice about filmmaking you’ve ever received?
MC: There is only one you. You don’t have to be like everyone else. You have to be the best you.
SD: The first version of your script is not the last one! Not even the fifth or the tenth. Never stop rethinking it and never stop aiming for perfection. Insisting on excellence is never too much.
What are you working on now/next?
MC: I am working on a couple of feature film projects titled Tombs and Sparrow and a couple of TV projects titled Bones of Crows and Leaves Awaken.
SD: I just shot my second feature film, it’s going to be named Souterrain (which means underground). It was shot in Val-d’Or, my little hometown. It’s about a friendly group of miners in a goldmine, overcoming their problems together. It’s going to be funny, moving, and at times, suspenseful.
Finally, recommend one #MUFFApproved film for our blog readers!
MC: I am looking forward to seeing The Trickster, Michelle Latimer’s TV series produced with Sienna Films, Loretta Todd’s Monkey Beach, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers/Kathleen Hepburn’s The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open. I could go on….there is a long list!
SD: Capernaum!
