There is in Quebec’s cinematic work, some creations standing out from the mass. For example in 1992[1], the Canadian film Léolo nominated at Cannes Film Festival for the Best Foreign Language Film. The same can be said for a Quebec-made tv-show a production called Les Bougons, it earned great success. Both of these works are about rather large families living in Montreal but during different timeframe. However where it gets interesting is when you compare the way those people are thinking and acting in society.

 

On one side, Léolo shows a working class family with the father spending his days doing labour in an industry, like the majority of the population. Then, the reality was crushing the citizen; big family, small budget, no hope, controlled education and the culture was closed minded. In that system, it was almost impossible to escape your social class. Now when we compare those Quebecois to the Bougons we can observe a major change in their living habits. Maybe because they resist the system imposed and work around it. The morals are also quite opposite. On the outside they might look the same but their mentality and actions are completely different.

 

With a capitalist society now and then for both groups in the same social class, we can notice a turn in happiness and possibilities. This is because one of them is applying resistance in their everyday lives. The Bougons are an open minded family concerning a lot of diverse topics. For instance, sex is something they talk about without fear, seeing it as a means to an end, like an income. Same thing with the law, which they have no problem with crossing. They are resisting the system established and with a different view of thing are living fairly well. With a different cultural understanding they impose their own law without to many consequences.

 

With one family resisting the system of moral and law while the other is a struggling one within a repressive system. There is a significant result when looking at the impact on the youth and happiness of the two. For example, Léolo is not really being taught a lot about the world. He must learn by himself. Therefore, he wants to escape his reality and doesn’t live in the present. However, when we take a look at the education of the youngest member of the Bougons, the learning pattern is the complete opposite. The parents in this reality resist the system of education imposed by the government and prefer to introduce their child to the real world. By doing so, their family is realist and can accomplish what they desire by resisting the power of authority. Keeping that in mind, it seems that resistance is an important fact when comparing these two worlds on film. The culture and upbringing of those families had a direct impact on the wellbeing of its members.

 

Finally, the philosophy followed by the Bougons is to resist authority and go around the system, since it is not flawless and not necessarily right. They oppose power and have their own moral code, which includes family as a central part.