With wit, whimsy, and a treasure trove of archival material, Matthew Rankin tells the story of Brian Mulroney’s rise to power. Taking us from Mulroney’s humble beginnings in Northeastern Quebec to his triumph in the federal election of 1984, Rankin uses found footage, reenactments, and more to piece together a tale of political upsets, shifting allegiances, and savvy manoeuvring. Our former Prime Minister comes off as a master of calculated charm, and the film depicts his ascension in wildly satirical terms.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney is a gonzo work of archival documentary that’s as funny as it is trenchant. Rankin, who is credited as writer, director, editor, and researcher, uses juxtaposition to bring out both the silliness and the sleaze in Canadian politics, and he bolsters his satirical power with visuals that are hilariously redolent of the late seventies and early eighties, when the neoliberal consensus was cemented. This is our nation’s history as you’ve never seen it before — amusing and dismaying in equal measure.
Oct 4 & 6: Filmmaker Q&A
Showcase Series Supported by
Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, John Diefenbaker, René Lévesque, Lucien Bouchard
Canada
2026
In English and French with English subtitles
Coarse language; violence
Open to youth
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Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Nathalie Cloutier
Producer
Pierre-Mathieu Fortin
Screenwriter
Matthew Rankin
Cinematography
Alexandre Lampron
ANIM
Adrian Replanski, Galen Johnson, Matthew Rankin
Editor
Matthew Rankin
Original Music
Christophe Lamarche-Ledoux
Matthew Rankin
Matthew Rankin was born in Winnipeg and studied Quebec history at McGill University and Université Laval. His work has been presented at TIFF, Sundance, SXSW, Annecy, the Berlinale, Cannes Critics Week and Directors’ Fortnight, as well as on the Criterion Channel. His first feature, The Twentieth Century, won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival, and his second feature, Universal Language, was awarded the 2024 Chantal Akerman audience award at Cannes and 2024 Best Canadian Discovery Award at TIFF.
Filmography: The Twentieth Century (2020); Universal Language (2024)
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