Studio D Films from the 1990s (Ages 15-17)
In 1974 the NFB established Studio D, the first publicly funded feminist film-production unit in the world. Studio D would eventually become home to six staff directors and a number of producers and support staff. About half the studio’s films were to be directed by independent women filmmakers from across the country. The next two decades were marked by enormous success for Studio D, including three Academy Award® wins. We pay tribute to this visionary studio with this selection of films produced by women, for women.
In 1974 the NFB established Studio D, the first publicly funded feminist film-production unit in the world. Studio D would eventually become home to six staff directors and a number of producers and support staff. About half the studio’s films were to be directed by independent women filmmakers from across the country.
The next two decades were marked by enormous success for Studio D, including three Academy Award® wins. We pay tribute to this visionary studio with this selection of films produced by women, for women.
Playlist
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The Glass CeilingSophie Bissonnette 1992 27 minThis short documentary presents 5 women from a variety of backgrounds who use strategy, humour and determination to seek to attain equality in the workplace. Whether in the public service or on the shop floor, discrimination against women is taking on increasingly subtle forms, which makes it even more difficult to tackle and eliminate. Various obstacles combine to hold back the advancement of women in many sectors, particularly in middle management positions, where we are seeing the emergence of a new “female ghetto.”
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The Burning TimesDonna Read 1990 56 min
This documentary takes an in-depth look at the witch hunts that swept Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film questions whether the widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.
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Toward IntimacyDebbie McGee 1992 1 h 1 min
This feature documentary follows a number of women with disabilities as they affirm their right to seek, develop and sustain intimate relationships with the partners of their choice. In this moving one-hour film, four disabled women from across Canada share their personal experiences, with particular emphasis on sexuality, self-esteem, stereotyping, and parenting.
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Sisters in the StruggleDionne Brand & Ginny Stikeman 1991 49 min
This documentary features Black women active in politics as well as community, labour and feminist organizing. They share their insights and personal testimonies on the double legacy of racism and sexism, linking their personal struggles with the ongoing battle to end systemic discrimination and violence against women and people of colour.
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Motherland: Tales of WonderHelene Klodawsky 1994 1 h 29 min
This feature documentary casts a curious and critical eye at North American discourses about motherhood since the mid-20th century. Through conversations with seven mothers, a fascinating selection of archival footage and stills from the 1950s, as well as some very candid and funny home movies, this film offers new ways of thinking about what it means to be a good mom.
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Hands of HistoryLoretta Todd 1994 51 min
In this acclaimed 1994 documentary, Loretta Todd, a leading figure in Indigenous cinema in Canada, profiles four contemporary female artists—Doreen Jensen, Rena Point Bolton, Jane Ash Poitras and Joane Cardinal-Schubert—who seek to find a continuum from traditional to contemporary forms of expression. Each artist reveals her practice and journey in her own words. The film is a moving testimony to the vital role Indigenous women play in nurturing Indigenous cultures.
