Ladies and Gentlemen, Brian Mulroney

Mesdames et messieurs,
Brian Mulroney

Matthew Rankin | Canada | 2026 | 105m

This kaleidoscopic culture jam from visionary filmmaker Matthew Rankin (The Twentieth Century, Universal Language) details the rise of Canada’s 18th prime minister through a satirical collage of archival footage, television nostalgia, and national mythmaking.

The greatest Canadian politician in the history of the universe.

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.

Mathew Rankin is a Winnipeg-born filmmaker and experimental animator, now based in Montreal. His short film Mynarski Death Plummet (2014) and his feature Universal Language (2024) have screened at Mighty Niagara Film Festival.