BRENDAN KELLY,
The Gazette
Montreal filmmaker John Curtin's new documentary, To Hell with Manners! The Decline of Civility, couldn't be more timely.
Just before we met yesterday morning at a café on Ste. Catherine St. E., I was listening to a lively discussion on the CBC Radio morning show Daybreak about just how rude people can be on the Montreal métro.
They were talking about how people on the crowded platform at rush hour routinely squeeze their way through the doors en masse as soon as they open, making it near-impossible for folks on the train to make it out before the doors close.
Then after our interview, I ended up stuck in a traffic jam near the Bell Centre, during which a guy in a van and a taxi driver got embroiled in a violent verbal dispute.
This is exactly the kind of unpleasant stuff former Newswatch reporter Curtin puts under the microscope in his discussion-starter of a film, which has its premiere on CTV Saturday night at 7.
To Hell with Manners!, which is narrated by William Shatner, is an attempt to explain why we seem to have become so much ruder in recent years.
From a diner in Vancouver where patrons go to be verbally abused to images of the infamous hockey brawl involving Patrick Roy's son Jonathan, the film shows some mighty unsociable behaviour.
Depressingly, it will be all too familiar for many of us - the obnoxious use of cellphones and BlackBerries, drivers running other drivers off the road, people refusing to help out pregnant women on the métro.
We've all seen plenty of this in our daily lives, which is why the documentary will likely strike a chord with many.
This led me to wonder aloud if Curtin had come up with the idea for the project after witnessing some horrific rudeness himself.
"I wish I had a story like that - that someone had given me one finger too many," said Curtin, who has made 17 documentaries since leaving his day job at CBC-TV's local supper-hour news show 14 years ago.
"To tell you the truth, I thought of it 10 years ago," said Curtin.
"I actually pitched to CBC, to Witness, at the time, and the woman who was commissioning editor just thought that people weren't rude and said she wasn't interested. Then eight years later, I brought it out again because there had been more and more articles and it had become more evident that there was a trend."
Curtin's film travels to New York and London in its quest to unearth rude and sometimes not-so-rude interaction. But much of the rudeness showcased in the documentary is right here in Canada which is funny, given Canadians' reputation outside the country as being among the more polite people on the planet.
Curtin isn't sure we deserve that honour.
"I've never found that to be particularly the case," said Curtin. "But I'm not actually saying in this documentary that everyone is impolite. I would say we are becoming less kind to each other simply because we're not paying attention to one another.
"We're not intersecting with each other, and a lot of that has to do with all the distracting technology we have - iPods, cell-phones and stuff like that.
"We just live in a very rushed, stressed-out society, and it's very easy to feel you're under pressure and you've gotta take care of yourself. And that nice guys finish last.
"So we imagine ourselves in some kind of Darwinian struggle where you have got to take care of No. 1, and unfortunately the person standing beside you on the métro comes in a distant second on your radar."
Gazette columnist Josh Freed talks in the film about how we've become less human as a result of these technological advances and the fact that, so often, we're now surrounded by strangers
There is much discussion of discourtesy on the web, with Shatner noting that the Internet has become "the new Wild West of rudeness."
Curtin is quick to say that "people aren't any meaner than they were in the 1950s" and he wanted at all costs to make sure his film was not full of older folks talking about how impolite young people have become.
But his thesis is that civility began declining with the social revolution of the 1960s, as a new generation dumped the whole notion of manners but failed to come up with anything to replace the old-school etiquette.
But he isn't entirely pessimistic.
Near the end, you see Martin Neufeld a.k.a. The Hugger Busker - doling out hugs in Montreal's Old Port and the Karma Army in England performing what they like to call "random acts of kindness."
But if those initiatives fail, Curtin figures we could always institute a mandatory course in civility that students would have to take through high school and university.
To Hell with Manners! The Decline of Civility airs on CTV Saturday at 7 p.m.
bkelly@thegazette.canwest.com
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008
Have we lost all respect for our fellow citizens, or should we blame it on our sped up and chaotic lives? In the new CTV Original Documentary To Hell with Manners! The Decline of Civility, award-winning Montreal filmmaker John Curtin travels across North America and the U.K., proving just how disrespectful society has become. With narration by William Shatner, To Hell with Manners! premieres
Saturday, September 20 at 7 p.m. ET on CTV (visit CTV.ca to confirm local listings).
To Hell With Manners! The Decline of Civility - Photography
From cell phone users chatting in restaurants and theatres to enraged motorists cutting each other off and employees losing it in the office, it seems that we are ruder than ever. Some blame the decline of civility on stress, jungle capitalism and distracting technology, while others see it as a logical result of the revolutionary ‘60s, when baby boomers tossed out their parents’ stilted etiquette and opted for an “anything goes” approach.
With interviews from manners experts from across North America, Curtin exposes the darker side of how we sometimes interact. As Professor P.M. Forni of the Civility Project at John Hopkins University explains, good manners and civility are not about which fork to choose when eating a salad, but rather how we treat one another in everyday life. “And what could be more important than that?” he says.
While Curtin documents a visibly pregnant woman left standing on the subway and a total stranger berated by anonymous comments on the Internet, he also introduces us to those who have taken on the task of improving manners and provide solutions on how we can get nice again.
To Hell with Manners! is written and directed by Gemini Award-winning producer John Curtin, and is produced and developed by Kaos Productions Inc. in association with CTV. Bob Culbert is Vice-President of CTV Documentaries. Robert Hurst is President of CTV News and Current Affairs. Susanne Boyce is President, Content, Creative and Channels, CTV Inc.
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV National News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.
from Wed1366
For over 30 years, David Criswell, Director of the Institute for Space Systems Operations at the University of Houston, has proposed the moon-based conversion of solar energy to microwave energy beamed to the Earth where it would be converted to electricity. The moon belongs to no nation (1967 Space Treaty) and hence no national boundaries would be violated; the construction material is readily available there; and the moon has the capacity of collecting solar radiation and redirecting it to earth twenty-four hours a day. The cost of setting up and implementing the project is estimated at a relatively paltry sum ($500 billion to break even), its maintenance, virtually cost-free and the reduction in environmental damage on Earth, significant. The concept challenges the assumptions (and revenue base) of almost every corporate enterprise that generates power today. Critics do not deny the validity of the theory, the energy-generating potential of lunar materials, or that the technology exists, but suggest that Dr. Crisswill ‘glosses over’ the complexity of the process and that the estimated time factor is out by a factor of 10.
DANGEROUS WHEN PROVOKED: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TERRY MOSHER 2006
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Few sharper eyes have turned their attention to the weaknesses and foibles of Canadian leaders than those of Terry Mosher. The veteran Montreal cartoonist, known to thousands of Gazette newspaper readers simply as Aislin, has been aptly described as "a barber with a chainsaw." Among the proud and mighty who have sat in his chair over the past 40 years are René Lévesque, Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien.
Best Biography Documentary Program
Dangerous When Provoked: The Life & Times of Terry Mosher
(Kaos Productions Inc.)
John Curtin
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John Curtin wins Gemini CONGRATULATIONS!
Wednight October 15, 2007– At the first of three industry award evenings, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television awarded 29 winners in the Documentary,
A Song for Africa
Curtin documentary wins prize
By P.A. Sévigny, The Suburban
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Photo by KAOS Productions |
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One of the many Ugandan orphans featured in John Curtin’s film.
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Friday 19 October 2007
Last week, Montreal filmmaker John Curtin won the Canadian International Development Agency’s Deborah Fletcher prize for his documentary A Song for Africa.
Following the screening of the film at the Ex-Centris media centre on St. Lawrence Blvd., a solid crowd of people lined up to congratulate the filmmaker.
“Lord, it’s just great to see something positive come out of Africa,” said one guest. “Those children will be the ones who will save their nation,” said another.
With a lot of work and very little money, Curtin’s film tells the story of how Jennifer Banas, a Canadian woman out of Spruce Groves, Alberta, had only four months to transform a ragtag group of Ugandan orphans into a superb professional choir worthy of a North American tour. more
John Curtin’s “A Song for Africa” screening October 4
In recognition of the 2007 recipients of the Deborah Fletcher Award >br> of Excellence in Film making on International Development
You are invited to the award ceremony and screening of:
A Song for Africa (Kaos Productions)
and
Tsunami : La deuxieme vague (Thalie Prods.)
Ceremony and screening:
7 p.m. Thursday, October 4, 2007
Ex-Centris (Salle Cassavetes)
3536 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Montreal
A Song for Africa follows18 young members of the Watoto Children’s Choir as they prepare for a tour of Canada and the United States. Like the other children living in the Canadian-run orphanage near Kampala, Uganda, these youngsters have lost their parents and relatives to AIDS, other diseases, or to civil war: they bear deep emotional and psychological wounds. During several months of intensive vocal coaching by dedicated music teacher Jennifer Banas from Spruce Grove, Alberta, the children gradually gain confidence and literally find their voices. By the time they arrive in North America, they are outgoing and passionate performers whose emotionally charged singing and dancing inspires audiences of adults and children alike. Set against the backdrop of a country, Uganda, plagued by war and disease, this story radiates hope and the healing power of love and music. The film premiered on Vision TV in 2006 and made its French debut on ARTV in 2007.
Director John Curtin is a Montreal filmmaker and journalist with 25 years’ experience in television, radio and print. As well as directing A Song for Africa, he has produced and directed fourteen one-hour documentaries that have been broadcast on the CBC, BBC, PBS, ARD, NHK, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, and others.
A Song for Africa was selected for the exceptional creativity of its storytelling, and its superior production qualities. The judges were impressed with the strong narrative and the passionate and articulate central characters. This moving and entertaining documentary offers a strong, emotional message of hope: before our eyes, these marginalized children living in a war-torn country grow in confidence and self-empowerment through the vehicle of music and choir. More on the films:
John Curtin
was congratulated on winning two Golden Sheaf awards at the 60th annual Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival last month for his wonderful documentary on Terry Mosher (Aislin): Dangerous When Provoked His next undertaking is a production for CTV, "To Hell with Manners: the decline of civility". It is profoundly hoped that he will not select Wednesday Night as an illustration.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2007 WINERS
YORKTON SHORT FILM & VIDEO FESTIVAL
Golden Sheaf Awards Winners Announced
DANGEROUS WHEN PROVOKED: The Life & Times Of Terry Mosher
Deft and dangerous
He calls it mischief but the targets of Terry Mosher's cartoons might use different words. TV viewers can get a peek inside the artist's studio and head in Aislin, Dangerous When Provoked: The Life & Times of Terry Mosher which airs on CBC's Life and Times Aug 21 on CBMT-6 at 8 p.m.(EDT) and Aug. 27 at 2:30 p.m.(EDT)
Go Back
An HD view of the future
CBC documentary about National Ballet star
Rex Harrington is latest high-definition film from John Curtin, a
filmmaker with brilliant timing
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| KATHRYN GREENAWAY |
| The Gazette |
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Harrington and Dale.
Photo: Cylla Von Tiedemann.
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John Curtin's timing is brilliant. Four years ago, the
documentary filmmaker ventured out on a financial limb to invest
$250,000 in top-of-the-line high-definition television equipment.
Winning
the NHK HDTV Development Prize at the Banff Television Festival in 1999
for his HD documentary Ten Seconds of Eternity: The Sprint for Olympic
Gold got him thinking this HD thing might be worth the investment.
His
gamble paid off. The technology - which produces 35 mm-film quality
pictures - is quickly becoming the "must-have" in the television
industry.
John Curtin is one of the first directors in Canada to
shoot in HD and his documentary film company, Kaos Films, is the only
production company in Quebec to own its own HD gear.
"I'd say within the next year or two (networks) will be telling producers that (all shows) must be shot in (HD)," Curtin said.
Curtin's latest HD documentary - Last Dance: Rex Harrington's Story - airs on CBC-TV's Life and Times tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Curtin
followed the 41-year-old star dancer during his final, emotional season
with the National Ballet of Canada. Even though CBC doesn't broadcast
in HD, the superior picture quality of the documentary is evident.
What is also evident is Curtin's lucky timing.
Harrington,
an openly gay man, was living the life of a confirmed bachelor when
Curtin began filming. Six weeks into the shoot, Harrington met the
partner of his dreams.
"You can't believe how romantic it all is," Curtin said, adding he watched the romance unfold.
It's
not the first time Curtin has been at the right place at the right
time. In 1997, he was making a documentary about sprinter Donovan
Bailey and caught Bailey's career-crippling fall during a race in
Zurich.
Luck has something, but not everything, to do with capturing the images that compel people to keep on watching.
Creating a rapport with the documentary subject is crucial.
"They mustn't feel as if you would take advantage of them if they tell you something intimate," Curtin said.
During the filming of his documentary Passion Before Reason: Margaret Trudeau's Story, Curtin was invited to film
Harrington and Cynthia Dale.
Photo: Cylla Von Tiedemann.
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Margaret Kemper and Pierre Elliott Trudeau having lunch together. It was one of
the only times the two were filmed sharing a private moment in the
years following their divorce.
And Harrington called Curtin after
Last Dance was already completed to tell him he was about to reunite
with his estranged mother in England. The dancer had not seen his
mother in 17 years. Curtin hopped on a plane and filmed the reunion.
Curtin
worked as a journalist for 12 years before founding Kaos Films in 1995.
He has produced 12 documentaries, including five for Life and Times.
The
Kaos team consists of cameraman Glenn Weston, Splice Postproduction
online editor Eric Ruel and composer Robert Marcel Lepage. Curtin
produces, directs, and helps edit all Kaos productions.
Last Dance: Rex Harrington's Story airs on CBMT-6 tomorrow at 7 p.m.
kgreenaway@
thegazette.canwest.com
Curtin has produced and directed eleven
one-hour documentaries which have been broadcast
on the BBC, CBC, ARD, NHK, National Geographic,
ARTE, Discovery Channel and others.
Curtin also made two critically acclaimed
biographies for CBC & Radio-Canada: Olympic
Warrior: Donovan Bailey’s Story which
was nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Sports
Program and Passion before Reason:
Margaret Trudeau’s Story, one of the
highest rated documentaries in Canada in 1998.
Margaret Sinclair was a ravishing beautiful 22-year-old flower child from British Columbia. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was a French Quebecker almost 30 years her senio, but still the most eligible and illustrious bachelor in Canada.
John Curtin, winner for Best Biography Oct 2007 
An unorthodox bridge designed by Joseph Curtin. November 28, 2006 
Flirting With The Opposition
