Essential, a hard-hitting documentary on immigration to Quebec, presented to Parliament in Ottawa

The documentary Essential, produced by Picbois Productions, was screened at Ottawa’s Parliament on Monday, May 8, in the presence of the film crew. The event was a joint initiative by Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament for Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Deputy Leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), and Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne, to raise awareness among Senators and MPs of the issue of closed permits and the working conditions of temporary workers and refugees.

“It’s a documentary that prompts us to reflect as a society on the fate of temporary immigrants: those who feed us, those who clean our homes, those who care for our seniors, those we call essential workers, but not essential enough to be offered permanent residency.” – Julie Miville-Dechêne

“Listening to the film is a shock every time. The reality of immigrant workers is worth presenting. We need to talk about it and amplify the message: immigrants represent a rich resource and contribute to our society.” – Alexandre Boulerice

Many of the issues raised in Essential fall under federal jurisdiction, such as closed permits for temporary foreign workers and standards for their accommodation, which can lead to situations of abuse. The precariousness of asylum seekers and the waiting times they face are also issues raised in the documentary.

Since the documentary was broadcast on Télé-Québec last January, over 25 screening events have been held across Quebec. The film is also part of the official selection of the INPUT conference to be held in Taipei from May 14 to 18, in the presence of producer Karine Dubois and director Ky Vy Le Duc.

The team behind the documentary also received the Action Week Against Racism Award last March.

To catch up on the film: video.telequebec.tv