Documentary Poster
by M. Cooke
A year after the largest student strike in Canadian history, a new documentary “Carré rouge sur fond noir” (Red square on black background) provides a unique perspective into the events of the “printemps d’érable” (Maple Spring).
For those of us not in Quebec during the course of the student strike, the documentary helps bring to life the events that we, at best, only read about from a distance.
Directors Santiago Bertolino and Hugo Samson were able to follow members of the CLASSE (the leading student union behind the strike) executive, capturing key interventions during general assemblies, pickets, barricades and demonstrations.
The film captures great moments about the strength of the student organizing as well as the oppressive state structures that students had to confront.
Early into the strike, the administrators of one of the colleges on strike, ordered the closing of the buildings, essentially locking the students out of their meeting place. This would have meant the end of their strike, but the students broke into the college to ensure they could continue using the space for their general assemblies.
In another scene, we see the administrators of the college in their fur coats pretentiously walking up to the campus. One administrators tells the student spokesperson that she wants to go inside to talk to the students and when he refuses, she tells him “if you’re afraid, I’ll hold your hand as we go in.”
The administrators approach a group of students who are blocking the entrance. The administrators soon realize that the students are committed to keeping them out. Incensed that these “kids” dare disobey them, the directors call the police to remove the students from the college.
Moments like these show the ways in which college directors, the government, and the police, are used to repress peoples’ movements.
However, there are also plenty of moments that show the resolve of the students.
The next scene shows the students outside the college deciding what to do when the police come. One student suggest sitting on the ground and being non-violent.
Shortly after, one of the student leaders shows up and briefs the students about tactics. He tells them that the key when confronting the police is remaining mobile, not sitting down. He counsels them to form groups to block different entrances. He suggests that the different groups should move towards the cops as if to surround them, “but don’t encircle them” he says. “Cops hate being encircled”.
Sure enough, the cops show up and the students move to surround them. The cops panic and back off. One cop is heard saying in distress “there’s only 17 of us” as he retreats.
The scene was greeted with laughter from the audience. There is much to enjoy and also learn from the documentary and its subject.