‘There’s sexual harassment here’
Canadian screen industry groups meet to discuss ways address watershed issue
VICTORIA AHEARN
TORONTO Compared to Hollywood, Canada’s screen industry is tiny. And by all accounts, there are fewer egos, bullies and power-trippers on the scale of Harvey Weinstein within it.
“But of course there’s been sexual harassment here. Absolutely. No question,” says Emmy-nominated Canadian writer-director Patricia Rozema. “There are definitely, definitely cases of people who have been systematically sexually harassing young actors, female actors, and getting away with it, and people looking the other way.”
More than a dozen organizations met on Thursday in Toronto to discuss what can be done to curb the problem.
They issued a statement that says a code of conduct would clearly define what is inappropriate behaviour, as well as what the consequences would be for those who commit such actions.
Some in the industry say sexual misconduct has long been a reality in Canada’s film scene and they contend it’s a problem that appears to be growing.
The recent revelations of sexrelated allegations against Hollywood mogul Weinstein and other prominent celebrities has shone a light on sexual harassment in the industry.
The groups also agreed to create more effective ways to report wrongful behaviour to ensure people can report allegations without fear of retribution.
Their statement says they plan to organize an education program and ensure existing policies governing sexual misconduct are properly enforced.
“This moment presents us all with an opportunity to focus a spotlight on the prevention of sexual harassment,” the Canadian stakeholder groups says in a statement released Thursday. “We are committed to working in partnership to build solutions and will continue to provide updates as they become available.”
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists invited the groups to the meeting.
While sexual misconduct has long been a part of the Canadian industry, it’s a problem that seems to be growing, says actress-writer Susan Coyne, co-creator of Slings & Arrows and screenwriter of the new film The Man Who Invented Christmas.
For the past year, she’s been hold- ing ad hoc meetings in Toronto living rooms and coffee shops about sexual misconduct in the industry. The latest meeting had about 25 women in attendance.
“What I was hearing from younger actresses is things have gotten worse than when I and my friends, like Martha Burns, were younger and were their age and starting out,” Coyne says. “And I don’t understand how that could be. It was so disturbing.”
The smallness of Canada’s screen industry makes it “almost harder to speak up, because there’s just so much less work and we don’t have the stars who can lead the charge either,” she says. “We work a lot, not just on Canadian sets, but we have a lot of American shows that come up here, too. And Canadians have even less power there, working on an American show. It’s so easy to replace you.”
Oscar- nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan says ACTRA needs to take “a much firmer stand” going forward.
“There are situations clearly in history where ACTRA was told of abuses and didn’t react properly and I think that can never, ever happen again,” Egoyan says. “I think obviously — and ACTRA is quite aware of the fact that — they bowed to pressure.”