Documentary

What the Hell's Going On Up There? (1979)

A disgruntled Uncle Sam complains that nobody listens to him anymore, and what's more, he doesn't even know what's going on up there. "I thought we were living on the top floor," he mutters. He expedites the ubiquitous Marshall Efron on a fact-finding mission north of the border. Part satire, part serious, this film sets out to package Canada for American consumption, with some of the clichés thrown in. Contrasting with the decidedly lighter side of the film are interviews with well-known Canadians such as Marshall McLuhan, Mordecai Richler, Margaret Atwood, John Kenneth Galbraith, Raoul Duguay, and Pierre Bourgault.

Production

ONF | NFB