Quebec school board cancels film screenings after public health warnings

Students in the Eastern Townships will no longer be going on a field trip to the movie theatre to watch Yan England's new film 1:54.

The Val-des-Cerfs School Board has cancelled the screenings for 600 students after public health and local suicide prevention organizations warned that the film contains an explicit suicide scene, which makes the film an inappropriate educational tool.

"[Teachers] have a responsibility to protect their students," said Tania Boilar of Jevi, a suicide prevention organization in the Eastern Townships. "They have a responsibility that they don't have in the outside world."

Yan England's first feature film revolves around a shy, naturally athletic but off-beat 16-year-old boy named Tim, who is relentlessly bullied at the hands of his peers.

The film tackles issues of depression, stress, bullying and suicide among teens. Since its release in October, the film has made over $1 million at the Quebec box office.

'Made to be in theatres, not...classrooms'

Boilar said the suicide scene, as well as a lack of a support system around the main character as he experiences bullying and depression, make the film inappropriate to use as an educational tool.

"If [the main character] had asked for help for example, it would have made the movie different. If the friends of the student were there for him, if there were teachers around, it would have made a difference," said Boilar.

But she didn't condemn the film as a work of art by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

"The film was created to be a movie and a good movie. It was made to be in theatres and not necessarily in classrooms," said Boilar. 

For the head of public health in the region, Dr. Melissa Généreux, using the film as an introduction to difficult conversations about bullying and suicide might do more harm than good.

"It's been well-proven that exposing youth to an explicit suicide scene, especially if it isn't in a very controlled environment, can have harmful effects on kids who were already more vulnerable or who had suicidal tendencies," Généreux said in an interview with Radio-Canada.

School board heeds recommendations

Val-des-Cerfs was one of many school boards in the region to get the warning from the public health agency. The trips to the cinema were cancelled over the weekend and will be replaced by a free activity at the schools.

The school board's director general, Éric Racine, said that the cancellation of the screenings for École Secondaire Massey-Vanier students was due to a lack of pedagogical resources to frame the discussion of the film.

Yan England was nominated for an Oscar in 2013 for his short film Henry. (CBC)

"The issue of bullying is very well represented. The issue comes from the suicide scenes that worry us," said Racine. "I would rather be too careful than not careful enough."

The Quebec Education Ministry had previously voiced concerns over the film's use in a classroom setting. It underlined the importance of teachers being equipped to properly frame the discussions that would stem from watching the film.

Neither the film's director nor producers could be reached for comment. 

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Quebec school board cancels film screenings after public health warnings