Montreal: The CTV Signature Drama presentation Choice is the story of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, one of the most controversial figures in contemporary Canadian history. Filmed on location over 20 days in Montreal to mid-December, the film chronicles Morgentaler’s stormy personal life amid the struggle to change the country’s abortion laws.

Many admire the still-spry 79-year-old doctor, and on one cold December day of filming, several of the 120 extras on set are lining up to shake his hand.

Choice is written by Suzette Couture and Carol Hay, directed by John L’Ecuyer and shot by cinematographer Pierre Mignot (The 6th Day, The Blue Butterfly) and is a Quebec (80%)/Ontario coproduction between Montreal’s Park Ex Pictures and Toronto’s Barna-Alper Productions. Radio-Canada and W Network have also licensed the show.

While the film covers the early years of Morgentaler’s battle with the authorities and in the courts, from 1967 to 1984, ‘there is at the same time the personal story of Henry’s struggle to overcome his own demons,’ says Park Ex producer Kevin Tierney (Varian’s War).

L’Ecuyer (St-Jude, Tagged: The Jonathan Wamback Story) says Choice ‘is more of a character story about a courageous, vibrant man’ than a strict docudrama treatment of the fight for abortion rights.

‘With this film I wanted to deal with the elements the public did not know – his own demons and his energy,’ says L’Ecuyer. ‘What made the man is even more fascinating to me than revisted peaks and valleys in his career. Henry was persecuted twice, first by the Nazis and then by the [Canadian and provincial] governments of the time.’

Tracing the project’s evolution, Tierney says Hay brought it to producer Laszlo Barna who brought it to Tierney (the three are the story’s exec producers).

Barna (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Blue Murder, Betrayed) has produced an extraordinary 30 hours of primetime drama and another 30 to 35 hours of documentary series in 2002/03.

Barna says when he started shooting TV movies the average length of production was 24 days. ‘The number of shooting days has declined over the years, and it is not good. Imagine, we’re doing a period picture [with some 250 to 300 setups covering nearly two decades] in which the characters have to change hair and wigs and costumes. It’s a bit sad to be Canadian and just short all the time.’

He says the TV audience won’t see it, but more days would translate nicely into more time to light sets and alleviate pressure on the director and cinematographer.

‘You get too little money from the agencies that are now trying to pare back salaries. The real job of everyone above the line is to find more money, not start paying less,’ adds L’Ecuyer.

L’Ecuyer says he ‘loves doing camera work’ and feels lucky to be working with renowned DOP Mignot, ‘a lovely, easygoing genius of lighting and camera movement.’ Mignot’s camera package on Choice is an Arriflex SR Super 16mm. The film stock is Kodak 7277 for night shooting and 7245/46.

The film opens on a cold October morning in 1967, when Morgentaler, played by David Eisner (Martin and Lewis), and his friend and fellow activist Gertie Katz, played by Julie Khaner (The Mary Kay Letourneau Story: All-American Girl), appear in front of a House of Commons committee in support of the decriminalization of abortion, at the time, an offense carrying a life term. It’s the beginning of a journey that will completely reshape the rest of the doctor’s life, become fused with the epochal struggle for women’s and human rights, and ultimately change the law of the land.

Players include Alberta Watson (Chasing Cain: Face) as Morgentaler’s childhood sweetheart and first wife, Chava; Stewart Bick (Deceived) as younger brother Mike; Remy Girard as lawyer Claude-Armand Sheppard; Lenny Parker in the role of activist and popular broadcaster Judy Rebick; Joel Miller as lawyer Morris Manning; Pascale Montpetit and Susie Almgren as two of the many women in his personal life; and Victoria Sanchez as the Chilean beauty Carmen, whom he also marries.

L’Ecuyer is looking forward to directing another Couture-scripted project, a fact-based feature called Lie With Me, to be shot in Montreal with producer Pierre Sarrazin. He is also working on an edgy TV crime series with producer Claudio Luca, a miniseries caper story for CTV called Perfect, and an ambitious feature project called Montreal By Night, through his own house.

Craft credits on Choice go to costumiere Nicoletta Massone, editor Denis Papillon, casting directors Elite Casting and John Buchan, designer Mario Hervieux and PM Daniele Rohrbach.

Choice is produced on a budget of $3.9 million, with support from Telefilm Canada, the CTF Licence Fee Program and the Cogeco production fund. The exporter is Minds Eye International.