A new movie will make light of Canada's linguistic divides.
French Immersion, currently being filmed on location near Montreal, tells the story of four English-speaking Canadians and a New Yorker travelling to Quebec to learn the French language.
The comedy will revolve around the cultural and linguistic clashes that ensue.
The film will take a similar format to the hit comedy Bon Cop, Bad Cop, which had dialogue in both English and French, with subtitles for both. It became the all-time biggest Canadian success at the Canadian Box Office, outperforming Porky's (1982).
Kevin Tierney, who produced the 2006 movie, is making his directorial debut with French Immersion.
Predicting popularity for the film, Tierney told the Globe and Mail, "If there are two things French Canadians have an opinion on, it's hockey and English Canadians," adding, "If there are two things English Canadians have an opinion on, it's hockey and French Canadians."
Actor Karine Vanasse said she thought Quebecers were unaware of the reality for English-speaking Canadians in an officially bilingual country.
"We don't really know that people have to go and [learn French] if they want a better salary," she said, speaking to CTV. "It's going to be good for the Quebec audience also to maybe have a completely different point of view on that."
The movie features a panoply of both Anglo- and French-Canadian actors, including Dan for Mayor star Fred Ewanuick and Emmanuelle Vaugier, of Smallville and CSI: New York.
Co-writer Jefferson Lewis told CTV the film would have only one thing to say: "Lighten up."
French Immersion is due for release in July, 2011.
28 June 2010
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