As Duke's annual Quebec Film Festival kicks off tonight, Jane Moss, who directs the Center for Canadian Studies, wants you to know there's more to the French-speaking province than ice hockey and maple syrup.
Here, she offers her Top 5 reasons to explore the French and English cultures of Quebec.
5. Cirque du soleil
Recruiting performers from all over the globe, adding music and dance, and creating spectacular costumes and make-up, impresario Guy Laliberte and the Cirque du soleil have completely changed the idea of circus. If you cannot travel to one of the Cirque's performance sites in Montreal, New York, Las Vegas or Orlando, then go see the new show inspired by Michael Jackson coming to the RBC Center in Raleigh March 1-11.
4. Leonard Cohen Even in his late 70s, Montreal-born Leonard Cohen is a megastar and his CDs and "Live in London" concert DVD are making new fans. Don't forget those other Montreal musicians: jazz great Oscar Peterson, Arcade Fire, the McGarrigle sisters, Martha and Rufus Wainwright. Every summer there are music festivals all over the province, featuring French-Canadian, African, Haitian and international music. And then there is the Montreal International Jazz Festival. 3. William Shatner In addition to Captain Kirk, it is amazing how many great stage and screen actors are Quebecers: Christopher Plummer, Glenn Ford, Colleen Dewhurst, Lorena Gale (of Battlestar Galactica fame), Roy Dupuis (of La Femme Nikita), and Genevieve Bujold, just to name a few. Montreal's vibrant theatrical scene offers everything from the classics to avant-garde works in both English and French.2. PoutineFor the uninitiated, this Quebec dish combines French fries, cheddar cheese curds and sauce for a delectable guilty pleasure. A number of local restaurants have put it on the menu, including Rue Cler, Guglhupf, Milltown and Five Guys. Much to the amusement of many, the French form of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's name is also "Poutine."1. Quebec CityFounded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, the Father of New France, Quebec City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its old fortified city wall, the cobblestone streets of the Lower Town lined with reconstructed 17th- and 18th-century buildings, the churches and seminaries of the Upper Town, and the Chateau Frontenac Hotel that dominates its skyline. The 15-minute battle fought here in September of 1759 on the Plains of Abraham signaled the end of the imperial dream of French North America.