Various cultural big shots are quoted here as bewailing Montreal's lack of cultural organization and unity. But what they dislike is that Montreal has been resisting taking top-down cultural marching orders from just such organizers: we didn't want the Peel basin turned into a mini-Vegas, and we didn't get it, and last summer's imposed new film festival was a flop. Meantime, there are dozens of small film fests, art events, music festivals, ethnic fairs, you name it, going on all the time – a simmering cultural world not at the behest of these top culture czars.
posted at 10:59