After the Ballot

After the Ballot documents the gruelling everyday life of two ordinary members of Quebec's National Assembly who, although at opposite ends of the political spectrum, share the fact that their sole power lies in their convictions. For nearly four years (from 2003 to 2006), the film's director, Manuel Foglia, focused his lens on Daniel Turp, P.Q. Member of the National Assembly for Mercier, and Charlotte L'Écuyer, Liberal Member of the National Assembly for Pontiac, both elected for the first time in 2003. Two MNAs. Two adversaries. And two entirely different realities. Daniel Turp's degrees are in law. He is a man of ideas who loves culture and who favours social housing. The reason he embarked on a political career was to help achieve sovereignty for Quebec. Charlotte L'Écuyer is pragmatic and wary of promises. She served as director of Pontiac's Health and Social Services Centre before going into politics and dealing with crucial issues linked to the forest industry and lumber crisis.

Through up-close observation of the unusual daily experiences of these representatives of the people, viewers come to understand that an MNA's life is anything but easy. We see Daniel Turp in his office with a singer asking for his help finding a producer, while Charlotte L'Écuyer has to listen to an elderly person upset over high taxes. What can they do to help? Just listen and nod. People's expectations are so high and elected officials' authority is so limited… It's hard to know whether to laugh or cry.

After the Ballot aptly illustrates that ordinary MNAs have very little authority since the real power is wielded by ministers who, in turn, are subject to the ups and downs of a globalized economy. Meanwhile, their fellow citizens keep asking for the impossible! Is an MNA's life a hopeless mission?

At the parliamentary session in Quebec City, the National Assembly is an arena where parties clash and where boring discussions are sometimes prolonged over issues whose outcome seems predetermined by simple majority rule. That might seem shocking to us, but we come to respect these two unpretentious MNAs for their determination to stay in the game, enduring conditions that would have prompted most of us to throw in the towel long ago.

Manuel Foglia, Filmmaker

After studying film at Concordia University, Manuel Foglia participated in the 1992-93 edition of the Course destination monde film competition. On his return to Canada he directed short documentaries and reports for television. He worked on social issue programs as well as on arts and variety magazines. In 2000, Foglia produced and directed the documentary De la citoyenneté au Québec, and in January 2008 he presented Words and Freedom, on the life and political work of Pierre Bourgault. From 2003 to 2007, he spent most of his time tracking Daniel Turp and Charlotte L'Écuyer, both Members of the National Assembly who became the main focus of his film After the Ballot, a documentary that reveals the at times odd way our parliamentary democracy functions.

Christian Medawar, Producer

Christian Medawar holds a BA in Communications and a master's degree in History. His 20-odd years of experience in film encompass work in the private sector, mainly in advertising, followed by work in the NFB's English Program, which he joined in 1990 as production manager and then line producer. In 1998, working with the French Program's Toronto studio, he worked on the films Just Watch Me: Trudeau and the '70s Generation and No Quick Fix.

Christian joined the NFB's French Program in Montreal in 1999 to work as line producer on such productions as Hubert Reeves: Star Teller and Bacon, the Film. He also worked on the Gilles Groulx box set. In 2003, he was producer of the interactive Web project Parole citoyenne and of the box set Michel Brault, œuvres 1958-1974 (Collection Mémoire). He is now international producer at the Quebec Studio.

Yves Bisaillon, Executive Producer

Yves Bisaillon was born in Montreal and holds a degree in Urban Planning from Université de Montréal and in Communications from Université du Québec à Montréal. After working in television as a journalist and director, notably for Radio-Canada, he joined the NFB as a producer in 1997. His work includes Raymond Klibansky: From Philosophy to Life (FIFA Award 2002), Just Watch Me - Trudeau and the '70s Generation, La Cueca Sola (best documentary at Hot Docs 2004), The Cabinet of Doctor Ferron (best cultural documentary at Gémeaux 2004) and What Remains of Us (selected at the International Critic's Week, Cannes 2004; Jutra for best documentary in 2005). His recent productions include Who Shot My Brother? (People's Choice at FNC 2005), Nadia's Journey (Caméra au poing Award, RIDM 2006) and Medicine Under the Influence (best science and nature documentary, Gémeaux 2006).