Christian Begin has now had a fruitful and varied career spanning 38 years. Animator, actor, writer, he wears many hats and as he says himself, a lifetime is not enough for him to implement all the projects he has in mind. Through this deluge of invasions, Christian clears his mind and rests when he visits him at his home in the Kamorska region.
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Between the shows you host and the shows you play, I imagine your home in Kamorska allows you to clear your mind.
Of course, this is one of the reasons I bought it 13 years ago. I worry all the time, in my head and in my life, so hitting the road and going home allows me to decompress. It’s a way to reduce the intensity of my activities.
How did you come to buy?
I discovered Camoruska a long time ago, when my son was young. We were camping in the Gaspésie, and one day we stopped at a riverside camp in the Kamouraska area. We fell in love with the place and moved there for a few years. Then there was a big break from which I never went back. In the second year Curiosity is the beginning, we did a show there and I became friends with the most important people in my life. By the end of this shoot, the area with a circumference of about fifty kilometers was quite mesmerizing. All of our vegetables come from local market gardeners, as do our meats. In fact Marie-Fleur is the one who keeps the project at arm’s length on a day-to-day basis. She really changed her life, she sold everything in Montreal, she moved in with her boyfriend and her kids, she really made it big. move. I participate remotely in management, philosophy of places and some partnerships. That. I told them in disbelief. I thought it would never happen. But a few months later, one of them called me to say there was a house for sale in Saint-Germain. I got there and was instantly drawn to the house, not to mention all the possibilities it could have. I immediately knew I was home. How it happened: On a whim. I bought the house in 24 hours. Since then, I haven’t been there as much as I’d like.
It doesn’t take long for you to bond with your fellow citizens…
In the first years, when I lived in Saint-Germain, I was a member of the city council. It was a way to integrate myself into the community, to observe, see what was going on, and to make people understand that I was there for myself, not a tourist. After these three years, I resigned from my position because I was too busy, but I continued to be involved in the cultural group. I have always been a good ambassador and a citizen who wants to participate in the functioning of his community.
Then, in March 2021, you decided to become a grocery store owner?
Yes, with Marie-Fleur Saint-Pierre (a famous chef), we bought Le Jardin du beadeau, a grocery store in the village of Camourasca, which has been around for over 15 years. We kept the same mission of promoting local products and improved the offer, we established other partnerships; We built the grocery store we wanted.
How do you rate this experience after a year?
It is an exciting adventure and it fulfills a need because we are the first management to open a grocery store year-round. In Kamorashka, it is very rare to open a business year-round, seven days a week, and we felt this met a community need. It was a very solid experience for me, it was like following what I had sown for 15 years. Curiosity is the beginning, that is, supporting local producers and talking about who we are through what we produce and eat. I would say about 80% of the produce we have in the grocery store comes from Quebec, including local produce within a fifty kilometer radius. All of our vegetables come from local market gardeners, as do our meats. In fact Marie-Fleur is the one who keeps the project at arm’s length on a day-to-day basis. She really changed her life, she sold everything in Montreal, she moved in with her boyfriend and her kids, she really made it big. move. As for me, I participate remotely in the management and philosophy of the venues and some partnerships with producers.
Kamorashka has indeed become a destination for…
Yes, it used to be the go-to place for caspase. We feel there is a lot going on here and there are a lot of young people investing in the area and leaving. Commercial. There is something like a renaissance in many regions; It also occurs in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Charlevoix regions. The new declaration of a certain generation’s love for rural life and regional life makes me very happy.
When you host your shows, you feel enthralled by the people you are with. Has your passion always led you to reach out to others?
Yes. What actually happens is that I participate in projects that make it possible to meet people. These are very unifying concepts, and Curiosity is the beginning, the meeting is still 15 years away. I’ve always said it’s not a cooking show, it’s an excuse to meet because I’m not a chef in life. such as There are masses of people, it was another way to meet people and I think it might have helped change some people’s perception of me. Once upon a time, it wasn’t really unanimous. I was very polarized, and I cultivated this polarization through all kinds of public positions that were certainly not unanimous. I think I calmed it down and now I do it when I speak because I feel like I can contribute to the conversation. If I have to say something, it should bring something new. I think differently, actually, when I’m talking about writing, for example, the official premiere of my new show will take place in October in Outremont.
One thing is for sure, people still love you animating and playing!
There is something established over time. Curiosity is the beginningThat’s a lot of years of TV There are masses of people, we shot the sixth season and are lined up to do the seventh season. So there’s something in the moment that confirms that there are connections, let’s put it that way, that are bound between me and the people who are sensitive to the work that I do.
Is it a bolder show than the previous shows you’re going to present?
I don’t censor myself. These are literally the words of a boy my age who wonders about the world he lives in. He realizes that business is changing and that he doesn’t have it forever Pg On the plate. The show is still under construction but I will tell you that the show is 90% done and so far the response has exceeded my expectations. My biggest worry about that show was wondering if I had anything more to say, if what I had to say was still relevant. After breaking it in twice, these experiences tell me that yes, people want to take this journey with me. It’s a funny show, but there’s always this interplay between comedy, less comedy, serious, funny and events.
Do you think being more on TV will encourage people to watch your new show? 8 Deadly Sins?
I think so. This may explain why I already have a good travel itinerary (As of this writing, shows are scheduled until next February).
See you inside too friendsYou will be playing soon Insecure. Are you surprised to be in your life today?
I never thought I would have the path I have had in my career. I’m blessed because when I started doing animation, I was never locked in a box. I continued to act, I created a theater company 25 years ago with Les Eternals Biquestes, and I also wrote. I have diversified and multiplied my playgrounds, but I never thought this path would be mine. The word gratitude gets thrown around a lot, but I have to say that I am grateful everyday for what happens to me. It has been 38 years. There have been more stormy passages, but for a good fifteen years, it has been stable and I am always offered new business. I’ve never had a career plan, I don’t believe in it, and at my age, people still want to work with me and they believe I can execute projects. It’s pretty exceptional, I’d say.
What do you think is the biggest difference between you and your Christian character? friends?
There are many, because Christians, in friends, the boundaries of homophobia and misogyny. Except for the same name, he is very different from me. We may share the idea of aging, and I’m not comfortable with it. It’s not the most fun business on Earth because I don’t think I’ll ever have time to do everything I want. Sometimes it’s hard for me to choose because I want everything! Otherwise, this Christian is very different from me.
Christian, you will be 60 in 2023. Planning to slow down soon?
Every time I tell them to slow down, everyone around me starts laughing. I can’t do that, telling myself is kind of a lie. I’m learning to live in peace with the fact that I’m never going to slow down, it’s in my nature. I’m like that, always giving up on fifty thousand projects. When I do nothing, I feel sick. I feel like life will eventually slow me down.
You also play another role, as a father! how is your son
My son will be 30 this fall. As time goes on, our relationship takes root in the new, because it is a young adult having his life. He spent four years in Seoul, he is now settled here, he is married and has a great job, his life is going well. And the nature of our relationships is also changing. It’s happening and I’m very proud of its trajectory and the way it unfolds in life. He is a guy who has bounced back in a thousand ways, he has suffered a lot and managed to do great things in his life. In fact, it goes well with my son.
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