Testifying:
David Hamilton

David Hamilton is the producer of the Telefilm-backed Water, a best foreign-language film nominee at the 2007 Academy Awards.

‘[The folks at] Telefilm really stretched themselves to make Water happen for us. It didn’t fit into their normal mode of doing things – we shot in another country, and in a language other than French or English – but they found a way to fund it and still be faithful to their regulations. They were amazingly accommodating and collaborated with us to figure out how to make it happen. This attests to Telefilm’s commitment to multiculturalism, and not just as a concept.

‘You can say all you want about multiculturalism, but if the processes and funding mechanisms in the country are not tuned to supporting that concept, then it remains a fantasy. We shot a version in English for the DVD and for TV [which Telefilm stipulated], but I didn’t think of it as a concession we had to make. I saw it as creative thinking on their part to help us find a way to make the film even though they were restricted by the regulations.’