able to rectify the flaw by the time he sent in the
manuscripts of his proof in October, 1994. An Off-
Broadway musical titledFermat’s Last Tangowas a fic-
tionalized account of Wiles’s efforts and ran for
much of 2000. Wiles was showered with honors for
his success and received a knighthood at the end of
the decade.
Impact It was clear that Wiles’s proof used tech-
niques that had not been available to Fermat. Wiles
had built on the work of many colleagues from coun-
tries such as France, Germany, Japan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States. The general accep-
tance of Wiles’s proof provided evidence for how
modern techniques could help to tackle old prob-
lems and for how mathematics even in the United
States was an international project.
Further Reading
Mahoney, Michael Sean.The Mathematical Career of
Pierre de Fermat, 1601-1665.Princeton, N.J.: Prince-
ton University Press, 1994.
Ribenboim, Paulo.Fermat’s Last Theorem for Amateurs.
New York: Springer-Verlag, 1999.
Singh, Simon.Fermat’s Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve
the World’s Greatest Mathematical Problem.New York:
Walker, 1997.
Thomas Drucker
See also Computers; Science and technology.
Film in Canada
Definition Motion pictures produced by
Canadians and distributed in Canada
Canadian cinema made significant strides toward world-
class status during the 1990’s, producing films that com-
peted for North American and international distribution
on much more equal terms with the United States.
Like Canada’s other cultural industries, Canadian
film has historically struggled to produce popular
products that would not be overwhelmed by flashier
and better-budgeted foreign, and particularly Amer-
ican, imports. Sporadic government funding, in-
creasing cultural nationalism, and the gradual devel-
opment of an infrastructure supporting domestic
filmmaking had by 1990 created a still fragile but
lively cinematic scene that was ripe for further
achievement.
Film in English Canada David Cronenberg and
Atom Egoyan were unquestionably the directorial
“stars” of the decade. Cronenberg’sNaked Lunch
(1991),Crash(1996), andeXistenZ(1999) enhanced
his international reputation as an explorer of horror
and science-fiction themes, and he continued to act
as a role model and mentor for younger Canadian
directors.Calendar(1993) andExotica(1994) re-
flected Egoyan’s concern with subjects drawn from
his Armenian heritage, while The Sweet Hereafter
(1997) andFelicia’s Journey(1999), adaptations of
novels by Russell Banks and William Trevor, respec-
tively, found him successfully venturing onto the
world stage.
Several other Toronto directors produced nota-
ble work during this period. Patricia Rozema’sWhite
Room(1990) andWhen Night Is Falling(1995) solidi-
fied her position as Canada’s foremost exponent of a
feminist cinematic consciousness, and Bruce Mc-
Donald’sHighway 61(1991) andHard Core Logo
(1996) continued his interest in rock-and-roll
themes. Canada’s reputation as one of the world’s
most multicultural societies was furthered by films
from Srinivas Krishna, whoseMasala(1991) and
Lulu(1996) dealt with Indo-Canadian and Vietnam-
ese Canadian issues, respectively, and another film-
maker of Indian extraction, Deepa Mehta, who ex-
plored her ethnic heritage inSam and Me(1991) and
Fire(1996). Two directors from African Canadian
backgrounds also made their first features during
the 1990’s: Clement Virgo’sRude(1995) andThe
Planet of Junior Brown(1997) and Stephen Williams’s
Soul Survivor(1995) were powerful examinations of
what it was like to be black in a predominantly white
society.
A new development during this period found re-
gional centers of film production competing with
the established Toronto and Montreal venues. In
Vancouver, Lynne Stopkewich’s first feature,Kissed
(1996), a shocking and yet touching portrait of a
female necrophiliac, and Mina Shum’sDouble Hap-
piness(1994), a warm evocation of Chinese Cana-
dian family life, were notable accomplishments,
while John Pozer’s two features,The Grocer’s Wife
(1991) andThe Michelle Apartments(1995), took a
surreally engaging approach to deceptively mun-
dane subjects. Winnipeg also developed a lively
cinematic scene, with Guy Maddin emerging as
the remarkable creator of such avant-garde and
yet commercially successful films as ArchangelThe Nineties in America Film in Canada 331