Poor No More
Encyclopedia
Poor No More is a 2010 documentary film
directed by Canadian filmmakers Bert Deveaux and Suzanne Babin. The executive producer
is David Langille. Hosted by Canadian actor
and comedian
Mary Walsh, the film is set at the height of the late 2000s recession
and looks at solutions for Canada
's working poor
. The film follows two working Canadians and Mary Walsh to Ireland
and then to Sweden
, where they take a closer look at how the Nordic Model
has affected living standards for the Swedish.
The characters are Durval Terceira and Liquor Control Board of Ontario
employee Vicki Baier. Each compares their standard of living in Canada with the standard of living for the Swedes and Irish. The film discusses Canada's need for better social services in regards to unemployment insurance, universal health care
, pension
s, and full time union-protected jobs. Poor No More shows how, in Sweden
, the labour movement works hand-in-hand with corporate entities to ensure a stronger social safety net
offering universal child care, and income and training systems for the unemployed.
A rough cut
sneak preview of Poor No More was screened in several provinces as part of the first Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF), held in November 2009.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Canadian filmmakers Bert Deveaux and Suzanne Babin. The executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
is David Langille. Hosted by Canadian actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Mary Walsh, the film is set at the height of the late 2000s recession
Late 2000s recession in the Americas
As one of the most developed regions in the world, the late 2000s – early 2010s recession in the Americas is seen as one of worst disaster areas of all the world. While Canada has managed to return their economy nearly to the levels they enjoyed prior to the recession, the United States and Mexico...
and looks at solutions for Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's working poor
Working poor
- Definition in the United States :There are several popular definitions of "working poor" in the United States. According to the US Department of Labor, the working poor "are persons who spent at least 27 weeks [in the past year] in the labor force , but whose incomes fell below the official...
. The film follows two working Canadians and Mary Walsh to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and then to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where they take a closer look at how the Nordic Model
Nordic model
The Nordic model refers to the economic and social models of the Nordic countries . This particular adaptation of the mixed market economy is characterised by "universalist" welfare states , which are aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy, ensuring the universal provision of basic human...
has affected living standards for the Swedish.
The characters are Durval Terceira and Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is a provincial Crown corporation in Ontario, Canada established in 1927 by Lieutenant Governor William Donald Ross, on the advice of his Premier, Howard Ferguson, to sell liquor, wine, and beer through a chain of retail stores...
employee Vicki Baier. Each compares their standard of living in Canada with the standard of living for the Swedes and Irish. The film discusses Canada's need for better social services in regards to unemployment insurance, universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
, pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
s, and full time union-protected jobs. Poor No More shows how, in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the labour movement works hand-in-hand with corporate entities to ensure a stronger social safety net
Social safety net
Social safety nets, or "socioeconomic safety nets", are non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level. Safety net programs can be provided by the public sector or by the private sector...
offering universal child care, and income and training systems for the unemployed.
A rough cut
Rough cut
In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The rough cut is the first stage in which the film begins to resemble its final product...
sneak preview of Poor No More was screened in several provinces as part of the first Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF), held in November 2009.
Sources
- http://www.rabble.ca/news/2009/11/poorbut-not-broken
- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/mary-walsh-is-sitting-pretty/article1390875/
- http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2196227
- http://www.orilliapacket.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2180919
- http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/cowichannewsleader/entertainment/75208232.html?period=W&mpStartDate=12-03-2009&
- http://www.canada.com/Labour+film+fest+makes+history/2276939/story.html
- http://www.harbourliving.ca/event/canadian-labour-international-film-festival-nanaimo
- http://www.opseu.org/lbed/2009bargaining/bargainingbulletin/2009-bargaining-bulletin-june-12.htm
- http://www.ccsd.ca/events/2008/agm.pdf
- http://hamiltonlabour.ca/doc.php?document_id=129
- http://www.nationtalk.ca/modules/news/article.php?storyid=26550
- http://www.georgianc.on.ca/news/events/orillia-hosts-inaugural-labour-relations-film-festival-on-nov-28
- http://www.rnao.org/Page.asp?PageID=122&ContentID=3121&SiteNodeID=398
- http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:C5LHPvKfPH8J:www.skyworksfoundation.org/current_issues/cf_download.cfm%3Ffile%3DPoverty%2520Jan-Feb%252009.pdf%26path%3D%255C+%22poor+no+more%22+film&cd=194&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca