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Sexuality and Reproduction (16)
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Abortion: Stories from North and SouthGail Singer 1984 54 minWomen have always sought ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies, despite powerful patriarchal structures and systems working against them. This film provides a historical overview of how church, state and the medical establishment have determined policies concerning abortion. From this cross-cultural survey--filmed in Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Colombia, and Canada--emerges one reality: only a small percentage of the world's women has access to safe, legal operations. -
About Conception and ContraceptionIshu Patel 1972 11 minAnimated drawings illustrate how conception occurs and the way that various birth control devices, surgical methods, and the pill function in effecting contraception. The film is without spoken commentary and is designed to be used by professional personnel. Film without words.
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The Best Time of My Life: Portraits of Women in Mid-lifePatricia Watson 1985 58 minAn upbeat, positive film about a group of women dealing with mid-life and menopause. The women come from a wide range of backgrounds, careers and lifestyles. Some are married; some are divorced. Interviews alternate with sequences showing the women both at home and in the workplace. Based on the women's experiences, the film effectively dispels popular myths and fears about life during and after menopause.
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Bevel Up: Chapter 5 - Street YouthNettie Wild 2019 5 minStreet nurse Elaine Jones hands out coloured condoms and encourages a young woman to get a pregnancy test. Elaine also meets a 16-year-old, new to the city and shooting heroin for the first time, and works to connect her with services.
*Watch the complete documentary.
*View all 10 educational playlists.
*Explore the Teacher's Guide for this chapter. -
ChangesMoira Simpson 1989 18 minThis film explores the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty. Imaginative, animated sequences illustrate the amazing physical changes the body undergoes. Myths are dispelled and youngsters are encouraged to feel pride in themselves and their emerging sexuality.
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Doctor Woman: The Life and Times of Dr. Elizabeth BagshawMark McCurdy 1978 28 minElizabeth Bagshaw was a forerunner of the women's movement. As one of the first women to practise medicine in Canada, she had to overcome society's bias against women in medicine. During her seventy-year career she helped to instigate change in public opinion on that issue, as well as the issue of birth control. The film captures the personality of this remarkable woman through a contemporary interview and re-enactments of episodes from her youth. The sepia tones of the re-enactments are in keeping with the film techniques of the time, giving the viewer a strong sense of the period. The film is of special interest to persons interested in the evolution of women's roles in Canadian society.
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Doctors with HeartTahani Rached 1994 1 h 52 minTahani Rached’s powerful documentary enters the doors of an AIDS clinic in Montreal. We meet a group of dedicated doctors struggling to provide health care to their patients. This 1994 film explores legal and ethical problems surrounding HIV/AIDS and the struggle against fear, rumours and prejudice. It is still relevant today. In French with English subtitles.
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Democracy on Trial: The Morgentaler AffairPaul Cowan 1984 58 minPaul Cowan's film captures the spirit of the legal battle over abortion waged by Dr. Henry Morgentaler in Quebec and in federal courts between 1970 and 1976. Using a combination of newsreel footage, interviews and re-enactments, this docudrama unravels the complexities of the case that began as a challenge to Canada's abortion laws and turned into a precedent-setting civil rights case.
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Discussions in Bioethics: Who Should Decide?Beverly Shaffer 1985 14 minOne of a series of short, open-ended dramas designed to stimulate discussion of values and ethics in relation to modern medical technology. This film deals with questions arising from advances in pre-natal diagnosis. Joanne, a victim of spina bifida, discovers that her unborn child has the same disease. A decision whether to terminate the pregnancy must be reached quickly. When her husband says that all he ever wanted was "a normal baby," Joanne counters with "What is normal?"
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Head Full of QuestionsMoira Simpson 1989 19 minThe first film in the Growing Up series tells curious pre-adolescents the facts they want to know, with an appealing mix of humour and imagination. Topics discussed include sexual attraction and sexual intercourse, fertilization, the growth of an embryo and birth of a baby, as well as a brief look at AIDS and at birth control. Detailed information about relationships is presented through the loving connection between two animated characters, Fred and Anna. The two hosts engage the students in discussion, encouraging them to ask questions and share their thoughts and feelings.
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I Hear YouKoumbie & Chelsea Innes 2019 1 h 40 min
I Hear You is a non-conforming medical drama about a group of gender oppressed women and non-binary people, who each struggle with sexual health issues, and the newly graduated doctor who believes she can help them as they all navigate the frustrations of the Western medical system and their own personal limitations to find hope and help on the other side.
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Karate KidsDerek Lamb 1990 21 minThis short animated film originally aimed at young people in developing countries deals with a sensitive topic: the transmission of AIDS. Set in the marketplace of almost any Third World town or city, the film is an adventure story about a group of homeless street children who learn about AIDS: how to prevent it, how to care for people with AIDS and how condoms work to prevent the transmission of AIDS.
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A Mother and Daughter on AbortionGail Singer 1987 12 minThis short film documents an intimate conversation between a mother and her adult daughter on the subject of abortion. They speak candidly about their personal experiences in trying to obtain the procedure, and how, in different decades – before and after the 1969 amendment to the federal law – each got caught up in the system and its rules. A useful discussion-starter on the complex issues relating to abortion.
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Mother and Her ChildVincent Paquette 1947 1 h 0 minThis film follows a young couple from the time they suspect pregnancy to their child's first birthday. The value of good prenatal habits and medical care is emphasized. Good tips are also provided on day-to-day baby care.
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Mother-To-BeAnne Claire Poirier 1969 1 h 15 minCan a woman fully achieve self-realization while at the same time giving herself to the role of wife and mother? This is one question raised in this film documentary. Introspective, partly biographical, the film delves into the emotions of joy, anticipation and anxiety that a young mother experiences during the last several weeks before the birth of her second child. There is some footage from Czechoslovakia concerning maternity: a natural childbirth in a hospital delivery room and state nursery care for the children of working mothers.
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The Sterilization of Leilani MuirGlynis Whiting 1996 46 minA single IQ test and misguided 'science' irreparably changed the life of a 14-year-old Canadian girl. This documentary follows Leilani Muir's search for justice and explores how eugenics (improving hereditary qualities of a race through the control of reproduction) became acceptable in the early 1900s.
Please note: This film contains explicit language. Viewer discretion is advised.
