Just Watch Me: Trudeau and the 70's Generation
Encyclopedia
Just Watch Me: Trudeau and the '70s Generation is a Canadian
documentary film
by Catherine Annau
, produced in 1999 by the National Film Board of Canada
.
The film explores the social and cultural impact of former Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
's vision of a bilingual and bicultural
nation, through interviews with eight Generation X
ers whose views of Canada were formed and influenced during the Trudeau era. The name of the movie comes from "just watch me
", a phrase made famous by Trudeau in October 1970 when he spoke of his determination to restore civil order in Quebec during the October Crisis
.
Actor Evan Adams
was one of the eight interview subjects.
Awards for the film include Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival
and the Genie Award
for Best Feature Length Documentary.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Catherine Annau
Catherine Annau
Catherine Annau One of North America’s most acclaimed documentary filmmakers, Catherine Annau delivers sharp style and compelling storytelling to every single project she works on...
, produced in 1999 by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
.
The film explores the social and cultural impact of former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's vision of a bilingual and bicultural
Bilingualism in Canada
The official languages of Canada are English and French, which "have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and Government of Canada" according to Canada's constitution...
nation, through interviews with eight Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
ers whose views of Canada were formed and influenced during the Trudeau era. The name of the movie comes from "just watch me
Just watch me
"Just watch me" is a phrase made famous by Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau on October 13, 1970, during the October crisis. The term is still regularly used in Canadian political discussion....
", a phrase made famous by Trudeau in October 1970 when he spoke of his determination to restore civil order in Quebec during the October Crisis
October Crisis
The October Crisis was a series of events triggered by two kidnappings of government officials by members of the Front de libération du Québec during October 1970 in the province of Quebec, mainly in the Montreal metropolitan area.The circumstances ultimately culminated in the only peacetime use...
.
Actor Evan Adams
Evan Adams
Evan Tlesla Àdams is a Canadian actor, playwright and medical doctor. A Coast Salish from the Sliammon First Nation near Powell River, British Columbia, he is best known internationally for his roles in the films of Sherman Alexie, as Thomas Builds-the-Fire in the 1998 film Smoke Signals and...
was one of the eight interview subjects.
Awards for the film include Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
and the Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
for Best Feature Length Documentary.