If you haven't already seen last year's best foreign film Oscar winner, Les Invasions barbares (Barbarian Invasions) by Québécois filmmaker Denys Arcand, it is a must see film. The story centers on a dying leftist academic and his estranged son. The son attempts to deal with his own emotions while trying to make his father's last days more comfortable. In the process, the movie takes wonderful shots at unions, university leftists, socialized medicine, the war on drugs, etc. This movie will go down as a libertarian classic.

Last week a friend of mine from Montreal told me that he had a chance to meet Arcand and asked him if he really intended the movie to be so libertarian. (After all, we all have a tendency to read more into movies than the filmmaker intends.) Arcand said absolutely and relayed a story about his own father's dying days in a Montreal hospital. Apparently there was a cafeteria workers strike at the hospital and they were having trouble getting food service even to the patients. Arcand's brother attempted to bring some food in from the outside for his father but was stopped by the thugs on the picket line. Arcand swore then that he'd get even on his next movie.

My friend also recommended La Grande Seduction as another French Canadian film with libertarian themes. As soon as I can see it, I'll let you know.