Like many at home during the pandemic, I have found that my screen time has increased exponentially. However, I am glad that I took the opportunity recently to check out CBA at the Movies. In partnership with Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, CBA is offering several documentaries as case studies followed by post-screening panel discussions.
The movie I chose to watch was L’Inspecteur (The Inspector.) Through the voices of those with lived experience, it tells a story of linguistic resilience. The Thornton Act, passed in Manitoba in 1916, abolished French language education in public schools in that province. Despite its prohibition, the movie describes how French instruction continued in secret and at the risk of discovery by school inspectors. The movie compellingly describes this injustice, which existed until the late 1960s.
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