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Women (28)
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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. -
Alone in the AbyssClaudie Ottawa 2009 5 minDrugs. They sneak into your life, into your veins. You wake up and you're all alone in the depths. But the Earth keeps turning. Since 2004, the travelling studios of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled Quebec First Nations youth to express themselves through videos and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2008 selection.
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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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Caregivers - Episode One: Madeleine and RoseDan Curtis 1997 49 minMeet Madeleine Fergus. Like all of the heroes in the Caregivers series, she is an ordinary person with extraordinary heart. For the last five years, Madeleine's life has been consumed by caring for her partially paralyzed mother, Rose. Madeleine took early retirement in order to care for Rose full-time. It's a job with long hours and little recognition. Yet despite the hardship and frustration, she finds caring for her mother naturally rewarding. When we first meet Rose in April, she is full of mischief. Although she is confined to a wheelchair, she likes to sing, go out, and get her hair done. By December, Rose is still able to help Madeleine decorate the Christmas tree. However, after battling a series of infections over the next six months, Rose deteriorates into total dependency. Madeleine, who makes do on two small pensions, must now seek more help from a system which can be difficult to access. Produced with the help of individual caregivers and community agencies, this is a "how-to" series with soul. Shot over the course of a year, these five episodes immerse you in the joys and sorrows of providing care. The caregivers featured in the series are honest and open about their feelings--and their eloquent insights offer an assessment of our health-care system's strengths and weaknesses. To Madeleine, Rose is not only her mother but her best friend. When Rose dies, Madeleine's heart is broken but her spirit isn't. She knows she has no choice but to go on. As she says, "You've got to float with the tide."
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Caregivers - Episode Five: Paul and JeanDan Curtis 1997 50 minSometimes Paul Oliver has to laugh to keep from crying. He's placed his mother, Jean, in a nursing home that cares for Alzheimer's patients. With bewildered fellow residents constantly interrupting and Jean's own erratic behaviour, Paul finds it hard to have a quiet moment with his mother. Yet he knows that his company and attention are vital to her.
Like all of the heroes in the Caregivers series, Paul is doing his best. Although he works full-time and lives an hour away, he still visits twice a week. Jean does not like the nursing home and she is often depressed. Her anger is vented on anyone near, including Paul. At other times Jean can be lucid and make Paul laugh with her sharp comments about fellow residents.
Produced with the help of individual caregivers and community agencies, this is a 'how-to' series with soul. Shot over the course of a year, these five episodes immerse you in the joys and sorrows of providing care. The caregivers featured in the series are honest and open about their feelings--and their eloquent insights offer an assessment of our health-care system's strengths and weaknesses.
What Paul finds most difficult is his mother's increasing memory loss. He's aware that, in time, she won't remember him at all, and he's determined to make the most of his visits. As Paul says, 'I try to make her laugh. I try to make whatever length of time she has left enjoyable.' -
Caregivers - Episode Two: Doris and TomDan Curtis 1997 50 minIn 1942, Doris and Tom Homewood vowed to honour each other in sickness and in health. Today, 54 years later, Doris is determined to keep the man she loves by her side. Doris insists on caring for Tom at home even though a massive stroke has left him unable to walk or speak. Despite her 78 years, she displays remarkable strength in feeding, bathing and transporting her husband from bed to wheelchair and back.
Doris has learned to accept the isolation that Tom's silence brings. However, like all of the heroes in the Caregivers series, she is still a vibrant person. Never away from Tom for more than an hour, she goes for walks, helps her daughter with the farm work, and feeds the horses.
Produced with the help of individual caregivers and community agencies, this is a 'how-to' series with soul. Shot over the course of a year, these five episodes immerse you in the joys and sorrows of providing care. The caregivers featured in the series are honest and open about their feelings--and their eloquent insights offer an assessment of our health-care system's strengths and weaknesses.
After a bout with pneumonia, Tom dies in hospital and Doris is left to cope with her loss. As she says, 'I guess it just takes time... but I'll get a hold. And I'll get there.' -
Caregivers - Episode Three: Kurt and ElizabethDan Curtis 1997 49 minThe strain of caring for his mother shows in the face of Kurt Weitz. He's alone, with no family available to help him provide the constant supervision she requires. Elizabeth, 88, suffers from a variety of illnesses, including Alzheimer's. Her dementia drains Kurt of all his energy. Even ordinary housework seems overwhelming.
However, like all of the heroes in the Caregivers series, Kurt carries on. Just before Kurt's father died, he left his son simple instructions: "Take care of mum." For eight years, Kurt has been doing his best to respect his father's whishes--but as Elizabeth only gets worse, he clearly needs some relief.
Produced with the help of individual caregivers and community agencies, this is a "how-to" series with soul. Shot over the course of a year, these five episodes immerse you in the joys and sorrows of providing care. The caregivers featured in the series are honest and open about their feelings--and their eloquent insights offer an assessment of our health-care system's strengths and weaknesses.
Elizabeth cared for Kurt most of his life, and this son's love for his mother is obvious. Yet when Elizabeth dies, he admits to a strong sense of freedom. Kurt's mixed feelings are in fact common to everyone who faces the emotional challenges of caregiving. As he says, "I hate to say it, but the relief off my shoulders is just tremendous." -
Caregivers - Episode Four: Pat and MollyDan Curtis 1997 49 minWhen she was a student nurse, Pat Tucker received training in bedside care. Today, she puts those skills to good use in caring for her mother. Molly, 95, is confined to her bed for most of the day and requires round-the-clock attention. Like all of the heroes in the Caregivers series, Pat offers loving and conscientious care. Despite her nursing experience, she nevertheless feels exhausted by the incredible demands of looking after Molly.
Pat acknowledges the support of her family--especially her husband; she knows that without their help, she would be hard-pressed to carry on. At Molly's 95th birthday party, we see just how important this charming "wee soul" is to all the people who love her. Even if she's too frail to blow out the candles, Molly is still the link that keeps this family together.
Produced with the help of individual caregivers and community agencies across Canada, this is a "how-to" series with soul. Shot over the course of a year, these five episodes immerse you in the joys and sorrows of providing care. The caregivers featured in the series are honest and open about their feelings--and their eloquent insights offer an assessment of our health-care system's strengths and weaknesses.
When Molly eventually dies, Pat is devastated. But through her tears she is clear about one thing: she would do it all over again. "Memories," she says, "last longer than dreams." -
Camera on Labour No. 4Alvin Goldman 1956 13 minNew Health Service for Garment Workers: Jointly operated by management and union, the Fashion Industries' Health Center in Montréal plays watchdog to the health of International Ladies' Garment Workers Union members through its free diagnostic service. Steelworkers Go to Press: An employee of the Stelco Steel plant in Hamilton, Cecil Lewis doubles as editor of a monthly union newspaper that keeps local members informed of union aims and activities.
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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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Donna's StoryDoug Cuthand 2001 50 minThis intimate documentary paints a portrait of one Cree woman who left life on the streets to re-emerge as a powerful voice counseling Indigenous adults and youth about abuse and addiction. Raised in foster homes and caught up in drugs and prostitution by the age of 13, Donna Gamble shares her exhilarating and tumultuous journey and what motivated her to turn her life around. Together with her mother and daughters, Donna is working to shatter the cycle of addiction that has plagued their family for generations.
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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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Daisy: The Story of a FaceliftMichael Rubbo 1983 57 minIn a probing yet playful approach to a sensitive subject, this documentary examines the values that prompt people to alter their looks through cosmetic surgery. Personal accounts of men and women, young and old, who have decided to change their bodies are counterbalanced by comments from professionals who explain the effects of physical appearance on our lives. The film focuses mainly on the experiences of Daisy de Bellefeuille, a frank and feisty woman who decides to counter middle age with a facelift. The film provides us with a front-row seat during a facelift operation, as well as a close-up look at the results.
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Emergency! A Critical SituationTahani Rached 1999 52 minShot at the Pierre Boucher Hospital in Montreal, this film takes us into the emergency room to see how our healthcare system is holding up. What it reveals is a powerful indictment of management that sees only the bottom line while human lives are at stake.
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The Hands That HealGordon Sparling 1958 21 minThis film presents a broad picture of nursing activities in various parts of the country, and shows the work of the many nurses from other parts of the world who have brought their skills to Canada and have made a place for themselves.
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Indigenous Plant DivaKamala Todd 2008 9 minKamala Todd's short film is a lyrical portrait of Cease Wyss, of the Squamish Nation. Wyss is a woman who understands the remarkable healing powers of the plants growing all over downtown Vancouver. Whether it's the secret curl of a fiddlehead, or the gentleness of comfrey, plants carry ageless wisdom with them, communicated through colour, texture, and form. Wyss has been listening to this unspoken language and is now passing this ancient and intimate connection down to her own daughter, Senaqwila.
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Inhale ExhaleDanielle Sturk 2009 27 minThis short documentary filmed at Saint Boniface General Hospital, in Manitoba, focuses on the work of 2 women: Gisèle Fontaine, who helps women in childbirth; and Louise Saurette, who attends the dying. Birth and death, moments of transition that involve a transformative journey, have much in common. The midwife and the chaplain offer themselves as guides on the painful and essential path of letting go.
This documentary short was produced as part of the Tremplin program, which enables young Francophone filmmakers to make a first production in a professional context. -
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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KOROMOUSSO: Big SisterHabibata Ouarme & Jim Donovan 2023 1 h 16 minWith candor, humour and courage, a group of African-Canadian women challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies. Combining her own journey with personal accounts from some of her radiant, endearing friends, co-director Habibata Ouarme explores the phenomenon of female genital mutilation and the road to individual and collective healing, both in Africa and in Canada.
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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 Measure of Your PassageEsther Valiquette 1993 29 minThis short film tells of two rugged journeys: that, autobiographical, of a young woman who learns she is harboring the AIDS virus; and that of the ancient Minoan civilization, wiped out by the greatest cataclysm in history. Today, the world is held hostage by a killer disease that is stealthier than a volcano, but it exacts the same price. Now, as then, some profound questions exist: How does humanity define itself? How do we measure our passage on this planet?
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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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One of Many—Dr. NhanJan-Marie Martell 1983 16 minThis short documentary profiles acupuncturist Dr. Nhan, an ethnic Chinese refugee from Vietnam who emigrated to Canada in the late 1970s. Although Dr. Nhan practiced acupuncture in Saigon for many years, British Columbia law would not recognize her profession. This film documents Dr. Nhan's efforts to overcome the obstacles that prevent her from using her knowledge. The film leaves no doubt about Dr. Nhan's commitment to people and medicine, and her determination to one day practice acupuncture in her new country.
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Pink Ribbons Inc.Léa Pool 2011 1 h 37 minPink Ribbons, Inc. is a feature documentary that shows how the devastating reality of breast cancer, which marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause," has been hijacked by a shiny, pink story of success.
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Reflections on Practice: Pregnant UsersNettie Wild 2007 1 minStreet nurse Caroline Brunt reflects on the challenges she faces when working with pregnant women who use drugs, and the importance of not judging the mother.
*Watch the complete documentary.
*View all 10 educational playlists.
*Explore the Teacher's Guide for this chapter. -
Turnaround: A Story of RecoveryMoira Simpson 1984 46 minThe women who seek help at Aurora House share a common illness: they are physically and psychologically dependent on alcohol, prescription drugs, street drugs, or a combination of these. This documentary focuses on the lives of five women at various stages of their rehabilitation. In the supportive and healing atmosphere of women helping other women, they are confronting the issues and feelings they had previously drunk or drugged out of consciousness. Turnaround is a film that will be of special interest to the families, friends and colleagues of people who suffer from addiction, as well as to professionals who are interested in exploring alternative methods of treatment.
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Wanted! Doctor on HorsebackClaire Helman 1996 48 minWhen Dr. Mary Percy left civilized England for the wilds of northern Alberta in 1929, the clock seemed to turn back a century. Battle River Prairie had no roads, no electricity, no telegraph, no services. But blackflies were plentiful, and so was snow. Dr. Percy became the first and only doctor in Canada's last homesteading area. In winter, her eyelashes froze to her glasses. In summer, she sometimes had to be fished out of rivers when her horse lost its footing. English sidewalks were only a genteel memory. Mary Percy planned to spend only a year in Alberta--until romance, in the form of Frank Jackson, came striding through her examining room. Sixty-five years later, she is still there. Articulate, witty and outspoken at 90 years of age, the doctor is a gifted storyteller, recalling harrowing experiences as a practitioner of frontier medicine. With the nearest hospital days away, she often had to improvise--sometimes operating on her kitchen table. As a pioneer and community builder living "off the map," Dr. Mary Percy Jackson brings history to life. The film evokes the essence of the rugged times she has lived through. "People these days would call it a challenge," she says. "I thought it was hilarious."
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We Regret to Inform You...Eva Colmers & Heidi Janz 2015 11 minIn a check-box society that functions by dividing us into neatly-defined categories, where does someone with a strong mind and a weak body fit in? Dr. Heidi Janz - award-winning playwright, accomplished academic, and self-described ‘crip’ – has a curious problem. Despite her obvious physical limitations she is denied financial assistance from government programmes because of her “productive” mind. Following Heidi through her everyday life, with all its unique responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges, We Regret to Inform You... offers an unsentimental, and unapologetic, look at what it means to be both “disabled” and “productive”.
