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Social Conditions (14)
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CordéliaJean Beaudin 1979 1 h 55 minGuilty of loving life! A dramatization of an actual court case in turn-of-the-century Québec. A lively, outgoing woman is accused of murdering her husband in collaboration with the hired hand. The townspeople do not appreciate her robust personality and the proceedings in court degenerate to a judgment of her character. Filled with stunning visual imagery, this feature film captures the spirit of the time and place. Particularly useful for those interested in history, law or women's issues. With English subtitles. -
Women / IkwewagAngelina McLeod 2019 12 minShoal Lake 40 women talk about their struggles, and those of their parents and grandparents, in trying to raise their families in a hazardous state of enforced isolation. Everyone in the community has a harrowing story of a loved one falling through the ice while trying to get across the lake, with pregnant women and new mothers fearing for their babies and having no choice but to make the trek in dangerous conditions. The film shows the key role of the community’s women in demanding funding for the road from three levels of government, and how their reconnection to culture and ceremony give them the strength to keep going.
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Great Grand MotherAnne Wheeler & Lorna Rasmussen 1975 28 minThis short film is an ode to the women who settled the Prairies, from the days of early immigration to 1916 - when Manitobans became the first women in Canada to receive the provincial vote - and beyond. Recollections of women are complemented by a series of quotations drawn from letters, diaries, and newspapers of the day, which are spoken over re-enacted scenes and archival photographs.
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Holding Our GroundAnne Henderson 1988 50 minFilmed in a squatter community of Labangon in Cebu, Philippines, Holding Our Ground is the inspiring story of a group of women who have organized collectively to pressure their government for land reform, to establish their own money-lending system and to create shelters for street kids. A story of grassroots organizing that can be a model in both hemispheres.
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The Gods of Our FathersAnne Henderson 1994 50 min"Human nature" is not fixed. We can, and do, reshape ourselves every time we change our culture. Nor is there anything natural or innate in male domination. In ancient Egyptian villages along the Nile, The Gods of Our Fathers explores the evolution of patriarchy as one effective way of organizing mass societies. The patriarchal order was not inevitable--it was merely functional. But the world is different now, and it's time to find alternatives to hierarchies and militarization.
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Life Inside OutSarah Zammit 2005 1 h 13 minThis documentary takes us inside the walls of Grand Valley Institution—one of five federal prisons for women in Canada. Here, most residents live in small shared houses, in an environment that is supposed to be female-friendly. The film features three unforgettable women over age 50 doing time in a system that can seem designed to frustrate and baffle. Vietnamese Kim struggles with translation and awaits a parole board hearing that seems to never come, while Pearl relies on her faith in God to stay positive throughout the hard reality of prison life. Finally, T.A.'s larger-than-life outlook serves her well, whether she's fighting for greater access and rights for prisoners or composing and performing her own country-tinged musical compositions. While the film doesn't idealize these flawed characters, it also advances the notion that those who have committed crimes deserve to be treated with dignity.
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Marilyn Waring on Women and Economics Show TwoTerre Nash 1996 30 minAs chairperson of New Zealand's Public Expenditures Committee, which reviewed all the parliamentary budgets of her government, Marilyn Waring travelled to over 35 countries and discovered that the rules governing the finances of her own country were operating worldwide. In each country she visited, Waring spent a day with a local woman her own age. She witnessed the enormous, unrecorded, unacknowledged extent of women's work. Women remain more than 50 percent of the world's population, yet hold no more than 10 percent of the seats in national legislatures. In one government in three, there are no women in the highest decision-making bodies. This film takes a hard look at the disparity between what women contribute to communities and how their work is valued.
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Marilyn Waring on Politics: Local & Global Show OneTerre Nash 1996 30 minIn 1975, 22-year-old Marilyn Waring became the youngest member in the New Zealand Parliament. At the age of 24, she became Chairperson of the prestigious Public Expenditures Committee, which reviewed all the parliamentary budgets of her government. She travelled to over 35 countries in this capacity, and discovered that the rules which governed the finances of her own country were operating worldwide. By approaching politics from the viewpoint of an average citizen, Waring challenges the assumption that the systems that currently determine how the world does business are adequately meeting the needs of both local and global communities. Using plain language laced with ironic humor, Waring makes it clear that classic economics work to benefit one particular group, while the rest of us--the vast majority--pay the price.
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Persistent and FinaglingMichael Rubbo 1971 56 minThe growing resolve of a group of Montréal women, members of STOP (Society To Overcome Pollution), to do something about air pollution by factories in their city led to a campaign to focus public attention on the problem. Despite rebuffs of every kind, they persisted until they were able to bring newspapers, radio and television to bear on their fight. What they accomplished, and how they went about it, will interest urban audiences.
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Places Not Our OwnDerek Mazur 1986 57 minPart of the Daughters of the Country series, this dramatic film set in 1929 depicts how Canada's West, home to generations of Métis, was taken over by the railroads and new settlers. As a result, the Métis became a forgotten people, forced to eke out a living as best they could. At the forefront is Rose, a woman determined to provide her children with a normal life and an education despite the odds. But due to their harsh circumstances, a devastating and traumatic event transpires instead.
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RenaissanceWapikoni mobile team 2008 8 minReturning to the Pikogan reserve to give birth to her first child, Sybèle wonders how to give her son a better life than hers while ensuring he stays connected to the Algonquin community.
Since 2004, Wapikoni Mobile has been giving young Aboriginals the opportunity to speak out using video and music. This short film was made with the guidance of these travelling studios and is part of the 2007 Selection - Wapikoni Mobile DVD. -
StilettoLouise Leroux 1999 46 minStiletto. The very word seduces. Pedestal of desire, ultimate symbol of feminine allure, this high-heeled pump is firmly entrenched in the popular imagination and in our lives. Stiletto is the filmmaker's search for new answers. Her itinerary takes us into the worlds of an erudite historian, a sensible podologist, a fashion designer, and an Italian manufacturer. She has scrutinized this aphrodisiacal pump from all angles. Stiletto strikes off in new directions and replaces traditional feminist thinking with innovative ideas.
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Who's Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global EconomicsTerre Nash 1995 1 h 34 minWarning: This film discusses and depicts mature subjects related to sex, sex trafficking and prostitution of people of various ages. Viewer discretion is advised. In this feature-length documentary, Marilyn Waring demystifies the language of economics by defining it as a value system in which all goods and activities are related only to their monetary value. As a result, unpaid work (usually performed by women) is unrecognized while activities that may be environmentally and socially detrimental are deemed productive. Waring maps out an alternative vision based on the idea of time as the new currency.
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A Woman's PlaceColin Low 1967 16 minTwo women discuss the roles and problems of women, education, and shopping on Fogo Island.
