THE BOTTOM LINE - PRIVATIZING THE WORLD (Le Bien Commun: L’ Assaut Final)
Carole Poliquin
Duration: 63'  CANADA, 2002
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Quebec.
She studied Dramatic Arts at the Quebec Conservatory before moving into non-fiction cinema.
From 1974 to 1980 she lived and worked in Turkey where she shot her first images.
Back in Canada, she has directed documentaries and several TV reports.
FESTIVALS - SCREENINGS

Planet In Focus, Toronto, Canada, September 2002
Human Rights Art Festival, Athens, Greece, December 2002
INPUT, Denmark, 2003
FIGRA, France, 2003
Resistances, France, 2003
Des Nouvelles Du Monde, Douarnerez-Britany

Broadcast on Tele-Quebec and Radio-Canada
FILMOGRAPHY
2002 Le Bien Commun: L’ Assaut Final/The Bottom Line – Privatizing The World
2000  L’ Emploi Du Temps/Working Hours
1997  Turbulences, 24 Heures Dans Le Marche Global/Turbulences, 24 Hours In The Global Market
1994 L’ Age De La Performance/The Age Of Performance
1993  Dites-Moi Monsieur Jacquard…,
1990 Le Dernier Enfant/Where Have The Children Gone?
1983  Les Garderies Qu’ On Veut/The Daycare We Want
CONTACT
COMPOSERS
Script: 

Carole Poliquin

¸ñåõíá/Research: Manon Hogues, Karine Foussou-Briand, Marie-Helene Grenier, Marie-Claude Bourdon, Ana Ramos, Monique Guilbault
Cinematography: Isaac Isitan, Yannick Letourneau
Sound: Andre Boisvert, Alain Tremblay Uma Shankar, Isaac Isitan
Edited by: Diego Briceno
Executive producer: Isaac Isitan, Carole Poliquin
ABOUT THE FILM
I think one of the most troubling – and, for me, most distressing – characteristics of the times we live in is the “commodification” of everything, that is, the encroachment of the market on all spheres of human life.
Given merchants’ voraciousness, what will become of our societies? What will become of the concept of “the common good”, which is the basis of life in society? Can the market serve as guarantor of the common good? This is the topic I would like to examine.
My hypothesis is that the crumbling of the concept of the common good is reflected in collective impoverishment and growing inequality.
The omnipresent sphere of the market also degrades the concept of citizenship in that the market acknowledges the human being solely as a consumer, never as a citizen, that is, a political being capable of defining, with other citizens, a vision of society and creating institutions to implement that vision.
Just as God created the world in seven days, today the All Powerful Businessman is intending to sell it – in seven days.
His ultimate goal: to declare the Total Market.
Using an effective parody of the “Voice of God” documentary style, the film shows the consequences of the world’s submission to private interests: a Canadian farmer is sued by Monsanto because patented seeds brought by the wind were growing in his fields; traditional knowledge is being patented in India; American people without insurance are denied healthcare, businessmen want to sell Canadian fresh water to the highest bidder while thousands of people in the world are needing it… etc.
Can the human community survive if all elements essential to life (water, healthcare etc) and all elements forming the very basis of life itself (genes) become commercial goods? Will human rights prevail on corporate private profits?
PRODUCTION
Les Productions ISCA Inc.
With the participation of:Canadian Television Fund, Telefilm Canada, Quebec Tax Credit Program, SODEC, Canada Tax Credit Program, Rogers Documentary Fund
Ìå ôç óõíåñãáóßá/With the collaboration of: Tele-Quebec, Radio-Canada
DISTRIBUTION
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