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Religion and Ethics (13)
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Being DifferentJulia Murphy 1957 9 minThis short film from the late 1950s looks at peer pressure among adolescents, using the example of a 13-year-old boy who collects butterflies. While the boy adores his passion, his friends laugh at him, making him question whether he should pursue his interest or conform to fit in with the crowd. -
Blood and FireTerence Macartney-Filgate 1958 29 minThis short documentary by Terence Macartney-Filgate focuses on the men and women who dedicated their lives and service to the Salvation Army. Part of the Candid Eye series.
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Captive Minds: Hypnosis and BeyondPierre Lasry 1983 55 minFrom stage hypnosis to group and individual therapies and long-term conditioning, Captive Minds: Hypnosis and Beyond explores the power of suggestion and its ability to influence behaviour--sometimes for life. By focusing on such disparate institutions as an Indian ashram, a United States Marines training camp, a monastery, and the Moonie cult, the film reveals the striking similarities in the indoctrination methods each uses to achieve long-term effects. It is a film that serves as a reminder that we are all vulnerable to persuasion, and one that provokes serious consideration of the far-reaching implications of any form of psychological manipulation.
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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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God's Dominion - By the Word of GodMarrin Canell 1993 50 minAnne Goldberg shocks friends and family with her decision to join the Lubavitchers, a highly structured branch of Orthodox Judaism. Karl Kleinsasser, who has lived his entire life in a Hutterite community, is finding it hard to take the final step of total commitment to the faith. Karl's and Anne's spiritual choices, defined by the word of God, are among the most orthodox of the religious spectrum examined in this series.
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God's Dominion - Spiritual SeekersAnn Harbron 1993 50 minDr. George Lewis, like many of today's spiritual seekers, is searching for a sense of well-being outside traditional Christianity. This video takes its direction from Lewis' personal quest and that of his companion, documenting their experience with various New Age workshops, Native practices, and the Baha'i faith.
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Shepherds to the FlockJohn Walker 1993 50 minThe United Church of Canada has long been pivotal in Church-based social activism. This tradition continues today, despite a split that has developed within the Church as a result of a 1988 vote to ordain gays and lesbians. Some ministers and their congregations want to turn the clock back on these reforms. On the crest of change, these shepherds to the flock are questioning not just what, but who, the Church stands for.
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God's Dominion - In the Name of the FatherTed Remerowski 1993 50 minAloysius Ambrozic, the staunchly conservative Archbishop of Toronto, has become a lightning rod for protest and debate, exposing a tremendous rift within the Catholic Church which is divided, in the name of the Father, into those who see a pressing need for change and those who are content with the status quo.
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Le Patro Le Prévost 80 Years LaterAlanis Obomsawin 1991 29 minAlanis Obomsawin turns her lens to Le Patro Le Prévost, a recreational centre in the Villeray quarter of Montreal. On the eve of its 80th anniversary in 1989, Le Patro is a vital focal point in the predominantly working-class neighbourhood. Beloved by the many generations who use the facilities and partake in activities daily, Le Patro encourages a strong sense of togetherness through principles of cooperation, respect and sharing. Obomsawin presents a tender portrait of a neighbourhood of diverse residents and the community centre many of them consider a second home.
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The Pacifist Who Went to WarDavid Neufeld 2002 51 minThis documentary is the story of two Mennonite brothers from Manitoba who were forced to make a decision in 1939, as Canada joined World War II. In the face of 400 years of pacifist tradition, should they now go to war? Ted became a conscientious objector while his brother went into military service. Fifty years later, the town of Winkler dedicates its first war memorial and John begins to share his war experiences with Ted.
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SalvationRosemary House 2001 50 minThis documentary portrays the front-line street workers who serve the needy under the umbrella of the Salvation Army. One of the world's largest social agencies, the Army is a religious institution that serves the practical needs of people first, believing that religion is of no use to anyone who is hungry, homeless and hopeless.
Join filmmaker Rosemary House as she peers into the hearts and minds of people on both sides of the street – those who help and those who need help. Shot in Toronto at Christmastime, the film chronicles the small hopes and tiny victories of life lived below the poverty line and the daily rewards for those who work to serve others. -
A Trumpet for the ComboMorten Parker 1965 8 minIn a city high school, a jazz combo needs a trumpet player. Randy is the natural choice since he is the most talented, but the music teacher favours Bruce, a black student. What should come first? The band? The opportunity it affords to Bruce? The teacher's pleasure? These are questions for the audience to decide.
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Urban ElderRobert S. Adams 1997 28 minIn the last forty years, Canada has seen a major population shift of Indigenous peoples to the urban centres like Toronto which has become home to the largest urban Indigenous population in the country (an estimated 65,000).
Today's urban Indigenous peoples (both those with a direct connection to land-based reservation life, and those who have always lived in cities) are developing an urban Indigenous culture. They are discovering ways to integrate important expressions of traditional culture into city life, including the tradition of the Elder: a person of great wisdom who dispenses advice, settles disputes, and acts as a model and arbitrator of acceptable behaviour.
Meet Vern Harper, Urban Elder, who walks the "Red Road" in a fast-paced, urban landscape. The camera follows Vern as he leads a sweat lodge purification ceremony, watches his 11-year-old daughter Cody at a classical ballet rehearsal, conducts a private healing ceremony, participates in a political march of 150,000 people, and counsels Indigenous prisoners at Warkworth Federal Prison.
In his own voice, Vern Harper tells the Urban Elder story of how he reaches into the past for his people's traditions, blending those old ways into the present so that the future can be a time of personal growth and spiritual strength.
