Thanks for giving us your impressions of M. Arcand. It's great to know his personality and ethos are similar to the personality that we see in his work.

I hadn't heard about that book. I look forward to checking it out.

He certainly is a beacon for all Canadian filmmakers. Despite these films being steeped in Quebec culture and issues, and very specifically placed there, they reach an international audience -- I think because of the specificity of place.

I love Canadian films that don't try to hide their Canadian-ness. By anchoring specifically somewhere, the story can become universal.

Arcand's films "Decline of the American Empire" and "The Barbarian Invasions" might just be two of the finest Canadian films ever made. I think even above all the cultural and political commentary, the most important aspect of these films is that they are ENTERTAINING. I could watch that scene in Decline where the guys are dancing in the kitchen over and over and never stop laughing. The wit, humour and intelligence of these films makes them such proud additions to (the top of) the Canadian film canon.

I was at a special screening last year of Decline (to promote the launch of André Loiselle's book on the two films - definitely worth reading) where Arcand did a Q&A afterwards. I was inspired by how his own attitude mirrored the personality of his films - cultured, critical and incredibly pleasant. Even when he speaks of Hollywood, he was never condescending. He had nothing but admiration for the people who made the films (saying how the average crew member has often seen more obscure Eastern European cinema than he has, for example), if not some expected disappointment for the final product and system that creates it. I hope this measured approach and respect is another legacy that he leaves behind in Canadian Cinema and something we can build on.

Arcand touches on many issues, bringing the political to the personal, in his characters' discussions. From 9/11 to Maoist China, feminism to infidelity, corrupt cops to the Quebec health care system, Arcand takes a breezy look at all these issues as the characters try to come to terms with their place in an increasingly bleak world. Did you find the films outward looking, or did you find the discussions of Remy's academic friends bourgeois and flippant? What are your thoughts on Arcand's world-view as depicted in these films?