THE STREET OFF LIMITS
| How do you picture post-WWII Paris or the Great Depression in the United States? |
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What springs to mind is a photograph, taken by a photographer who was able to subjectively capture a moment and engrain in on our collective memories. Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau of the Magnum photo agency, along with dozens of others, have forever changed our visual representation of the past and, consequently, our representation of "reality." Recall how anonymous photographers exposed a new reality
during the civil rights movement in the 1960s, or how anonymous
demonstrators captured Vietnam War protests on film. And who could
forget the scores of photos taken of young "peace and love"
hippies? |
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Célèbre inconnue, 1987 |
We all share this enduring socio-cultural legacy. But imagine for a moment that we no longer have this rich legacy to draw upon. No collective memory bank. Does it seem like an outlandish idea? Unthinkable? Think again. In 1998, a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada, also known as the "Duclos Arrest," created a landmark precedent regarding photographs taken of strangers and anonymous persons in public places without obtaining prior permission to publish the photographs. While we might expect that most people would consent to having their picture taken, in a world where everything has its price, photos of everyday reality don't necessarily come cheap. Meanwhile, other realities may never be seen by anyone, for lack of funds.
The Street Off Limits |
| The Street Off Limits is a documentary film on the limitations and prohibitions governing the right to photograph and film reality, and the serious consequences that the Duclos ruling had on the visual heritage of our times. Through the subject of photography, The Street Off Limits is showing how the dominant values of our times influenced the Supreme Court of Canada in its final decision, exposing the major impact that this decision is having on freedom of expression and on our visual heritage. |
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Is the street a public or a private place? Do photographers still have the right to take photographs when and where they please? In Canada, the US and France, cases being brought before the courts are increasing in frequency. Even documentary film seems to be under fire (the French film Être et Avoir is one case in point). "Real" images -both still shots and film footage- are indispensable to documenting our times. But is documentary film being threatened by rulings like that of the Supreme Court of Canada? |
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Filmed in Canada, the US and France, a variety of photographers
are asked to share their experiences, including William Klein, Marc
Riboud, Willy Ronis, Janine Niepce and Elliott Erwitt. Editors,
reporters and legal experts are also sharing their misgivings about
this trend. |
We wish to read your comments.
THE STREET OFF LIMITS
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Gilbert Duclos Monique Simard Isabelle Fortier Jacqueline Bui |
Richard Hamel Gilles Corbeil Annie Jean |
 Willy Ronis interviewed |