CREATING IS SOMETHING WOMEN are known to do very well.
I have a few examples:
- Alice Parker invented central heating in 1919
- Josephine Cochrane invented the dishwasher in 1887
- Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper in 1903
- Mary Wilcox invented the car heater in 1893
Women invented the chocolate chip cookie, Monopoly, the fire escape, the life raft and beer!
In 1941 Hedy Lamar invented the torpedo guidance system – cutting edge technology that helped win the war for the Alies and laid the foundation for todays Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Women ahead of the curve? Always!
In 2003, when I was in Halifax in prep on the mini series Shattered City, The Halifax Explosion, my mother died. Connie was a survivor of the explosion. We had grown up with her stories of the disaster and I had so wanted her to see the finished film.
One Sunday a friend took me to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia to cheer me up and I found myself in the Maud Lewis Gallery and in front of her tiny house.
My heart was lifted by Maud’s art and as a little NFB doc rolled on a loop, a light bulb came on in my head. From that moment I was determined to tell the story of the little woman from Digby who lived her life with a joyful vision in a world without shadows.
I began to imagine Maud coming to life. Everett, Aunt Ida… I saw what the film would be and from that day until September 6th, 2016, I didn’t stop. That was the day we welcomed Sally Hawkins onto set and Maudie truly came to life.
That’s what we producers do. We search and read and dream and suddenly something hits us and we know we have a story that has to be told; create something from nothing: Make a dream, reality.
Like:
- Kay Shaw designing the Avro Arrow airframe.
- Komi finding her way home to her family in the Kainai Territory.
- Marc Hall taking his boyfriend to prom at his Catholic high school in 2002.
- Megan Chandler teaching Connie McCall to day drink!
I didn’t set out to tell exclusively Canadian stories – but, turns out that’s just what I’ve have done – because in the end, our stories are the stories that move me and inspire me.
The best part of all is that I get to work with scores of incredible people who are all part of that creation process: Distributors and funders and broadcasters who buy into our vision and put their money on the line.
Caterers, and camera renters, lighting suppliers and early morning craft service workers. We are all creating.
From Sherry and Aisling to Trysha, Redd, Niamh and Mary Sue, Peggy, Jenny, Stephanie, Charlotte, Caroline, Kari and Kate, from transport to loop group, each one of us can take ownership of creating that beautiful gem of a film.
I counted on IMDB last night there are 92 women who are credited onscreen on Maudie – and that’s not counting all the women behind the scenes.
92!
So, here’s the thing. In this room today and in our lives are the next generation of creators and storytellers. We need to make sure we leave them the stuff they need to bring their imaginings to life.
“They are draining our resources and they are leaving like carpet baggers with our hard-earned cash in their bank accounts. We the creators have to hold them to account.”
Right now, we are at a critical point in our industry. The Amazons and Disneys and Netflixes have crossed our border without clearing customs. They are squatting on our sovereign territory, without paying a cent in tax, without paying so much as rent to us, the owners of this country.
They are draining our resources and they are leaving like carpet baggers with our hard-earned cash in their bank accounts. We the creators have to hold them to account. If they want access to our audiences, they have to pay up, to pay into our industry.
Our stories are who we are. We are not American. We are a proud, strong democracy. We protect our most vulnerable. We are a refuge. We are awakening to our colonial past.
So, our creations, not theirs.
We need to tell our government to grow a pair and follow the example of France, Sweden and Denmark – and a burgeoning cadre of countries – who have said no to the OTTs, to a free ride in their territory.
Imagine a renaissance of Canadian stories. What a thing!
So, let’ s do what women do best: Let’s join together with our super human woman powers and create a fertile ground for the next generation to tell the stories that matter to them.
Thank you again for this honour.
Congratulations to my fellow honourees: Kim, Esta, Alison, Tammy and Maxine. Its amazing to be in the company of you bad-ass women!
Thank you to my dear friends and family who set work aside and travelled, some a couple thousand miles to be here today. Thank you to the nominators who put my name forward and to the jury for this wonderful honour. I’m truly blessed.
Mary Young Leckie (pictured above) is a renowned producer of drama, from feature films, to brilliantly curated movies and limited series for television, to live theatre. Owner of Toronto based Solo Productions, Leckie’s touch has been felt in script rooms, on set and in the edit suites of some of Canada’s best know scripted content including the multi award winning feature films MAUDIE, starring Ethan Hawke & Sally Hawkins & WHERE THE SPIRIT LIVES starring Michelle St. John and Graham Green.
Limited series include THE ARROW; SHATTERED CITY: THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION; & EVEREST! Acclaimed television films include AN OFFICER & A MURDERER, starring Rosif Sutherland and Gary Cole, SHADES OF BLACK starring Albert Schultz, and PROM QUEEN starring Aaron Ashmore, Fiona Reid. THE LOUDER WE GET, a musical based on PROM QUEEN opens at Theatre Calgary, January 31, 2020. Leckie serves on the Board of Toronto’s Coal Mine Theatre.
MAUDIE has been bestowed over 20 international awards and was awarded seven Canadian Screen Awards including Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Feature Film in 2018.
This is an edited version of her very well received acceptance speech given Tuesday at the Women in Film & Television – Toronto Crystal Awards, where she was presented with the Creative Excellence Award.
