"Feel Canada"

20 February 2022

2 mins 46s

Oh, Canada!

This beautiful rumination on what it means to be a Canadian in 2022 makes judicious use of utterances by some famous folk from the country in question. Their reflections on Canadianness are juxtaposed with footage demonstrating what a multicultural nation it has become as its athletes participate in the Winter Olympics.

Notwithstanding the current tussle between Trudeau's government and a bunch of anti-vax truck drivers, Canada is a beacon of hope for those who are troubled by the emergence of a patriotism founded on the idea of preserving the power imbalance between white people and the rest of society. As the United States has grappled with this tension, Canada has largely sought to set itself apart from its North American neighbour by espousing a kinder, better and infinitely more tolerant approach.

This film, directed by Natalie Rae, invokes this modern Canadian spirit with unapologetic glee. Though advertising still has much to do to improve its own record when it comes to equal opportunities where it matters, it is currently doing a brilliant job of disseminating the idea that we all benefit from a multifaceted, multicultural, multiracial society.

Object & Animal's Natalie Rae is walking the walk on both sides of the camera, and - as with her recent Adidas work - has created a film here which transcends advertising because its message is so important. And it speaks volumes for lululemon that they are active participants in this, and are happy for their brand to take a backseat to the activism. This is truly first rate work.

Canada

Sportswear