Being young is tough, especially if you're Black, Latino, Arab or Asian. In a city like Montreal, you can get targeted and treated as a criminal for no good reason. Zero Tolerance reveals how deep seated prejudice can be. On one side are the city's young people, and on the other, its police force. Two worlds, two visions. Yet one of these groups is a minority, while the other wields real power. One has no voice, while the other makes life-and-death decisions.
When a policy of zero tolerance to crime masks an intolerance to young people of colour, the delicate balance between order and personal freedom is upset. A blend of cinéma vérité and personal testimonies, this hard-hitting film will broaden your mind and change your way of thinking. In French with English subtitles.
Ages 13 to 18
Civics/Citizenship - Citizen Responsibilities
Diversity - Diversity in Communities
Ethics and Religious Culture - Ethical Values
History and Citizenship Education - Issues in Society Today
This film provides a superb opportunity to look at difficult themes such as racism within police forces. What role do factors such as “ethnic” appearance and socio-economic status play in how people are treated by authority figures? What is racial profiling, and can its use be justified? What are the influences of well-meaning anti-racism and anti-discrimination laws in the daily lives of authority figures? Is our society as democratic, just, and egalitarian as we would like to think? Are there Canadian parallels to the problems of integrating youth that France has experienced? What are the similarities and differences between the two?