The Birth of Sybling and other forms of dissociation
Liz Mac Dougall20 min. 1996
Michelle Welygan/Erin Mussolum
Artizan Productions
47 min. 2004
Also available on DVD
This bold documentary tackles head on popular misconceptions about virginity. A host of celibate men and women in their teens, twenties, thirties and beyond (!) talk candidly about the choice to abstain. For some it's a question of emotional health; for some, a matter of culture; and for others, a choice to honour spiritual beliefs.
A pop-culture critic looks at standard virgin interpretations in the arguably sex-obsessed media. A 21-year-old university student shares surprising views on masturbation and reveals his fear of being thought a freak. A 30-something gay man looks at the all-too-common stereotype that homosexual means promiscuous, but admits he's holding out for love. Born-again virgins address the spectre of their sexual past. A self-professed sex addict talks about the painful process of recovery. A young Muslim woman argues that she's choosing culture over sex by undergoing hymen reconstruction. These virgins examine the Big V from every vantage point, but for all of them…it's not about losing it, it's about keeping it!
Subject(s): Sexuality
The Birth of Sybling and other forms of dissociationLiz Mac Dougall20 min. 1996 |
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Dissociation is one of the coping mechanisms used by a child when experiencing sexual abuse or trauma. While this behavior allows the child a mental escape when abuse is happening, it can become another form of silencing. If dissociating experiences from memory to escape trauma becomes a pattern that continues into adulthood, it can prevent one from dealing with the past.
The Birth of Sybling and other forms of dissociation is a collaborative effort between a group of women Survivors and media artist Liz Mac Dougall. Together, the women create the story of Sybling, an archetypal child who is abused by her father and silenced by the state, to illustrate how the code of silence dominates the lives of the abused. What follows is a moving dialogue between the artist and the Survivors about Sybling's plight. Their comments reveal both the comforts and the traps of dissociation.
Subject(s): Film studies, Healing, Mental health, Sexual abuse, Storytelling, Violence against women, Women
Sarah Vermette
Tattle Tale Productions
17:30 min. 2003
Aimed at teenagers, Blowing the Whistle zeroes in on shoplifting, offering perspectives not always considered on this easy crime. Two shopkeepers, a security professional, a police officer, a psychologist, a youth counselor and a judge speak about the hidden costs of this theft some may consider harmless. Convicted felons explain how their criminal careers began with shoplifting at the local five and dime, but progressed to more serious crimes and ended with armed robbery. In frank interviews, teenage school girls reveal the nervousness, excitement and ambivalence with which they view their own criminal activity—most often the taking of unnecessary items. By comparison, a group of disadvantaged young men in a Toronto youth shelter offer insight into the harsh realities of organized gang shoplifting and stealing to combat homelessness and hunger.
Subject(s): Criminology, Shoplifting, Youth
Marianne Kaplan
MSK Productions
47 min. 2006
Closed captioned
Also available on DVD
Filmmaker Marianne Kaplan tells the personal and often harrowing story of her son Adam, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. His condition—an increasingly common form of high-functioning autism characterized by emotionally inappropriate behavior and an inability to interact successfully with others—makes grade seven a minefield. As Adam struggles to survive, Marianne documents her family's tumultuous daily life.
School is a nightmare for Adam, a place where he finds himself isolated and bullied. His parents coach him on how to avoid confrontation. His teachers take extra steps to help other kids understand him. But despite this, his troubles escalate, first at school and then at home. Adam himself is always painfully aware of his separateness.
To learn more about dealing with the challenges of Aspergers, Marianne and Adam attend a Chicago conference, where they connect with other kids with Aspergers and their parents. Marianne also meets with Dr. Temple Grandin, a renowned animal scientist and author, herself autistic. To round out the picture, a cross-section of Adam's schoolmates honestly share their difficulties in relating to him. Throughout, Adam offers his own profound and astute observations on living with Aspergers.
"This film is a must-see for principals and teachers.
Adam's story provides a glimpse of the very real struggle faced daily by children
with Asperger syndrome and their families.
– Pat Mirenda, Ph.D., BCBA, Professor,
Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education,
University of British Columbia
"As a grade seven teacher, with a child with Asperger's
in my class, I feel that The Boy Inside is a valuable tool…It dramatically
shows the impact of exclusion on not only a child who is on the Autism Spectrum,
but on any child…and can go a long way toward helping the other students
understand him."
– Gina Challenger, Teacher
Cedar Hills Elementary
"A wonderful tool to increase students'
tolerance of differences and to promote compassion for another's struggle.
– Jill Watson, Learning Support
Teacher, Student Services Team
North Vancouver School District
Visit The Boy Inside website – www.theboyinside.com – for more information on the film and further resources on Asperger Syndrome.
Award(s): CINE Golden Eagle Award, 2007 Freddie Award in the International Health and Medical Media Awards
Subject(s): Autism,
Children, about, Family,
Inclusive education, Isolation,
Relationships
Broken Dreams
Annette Mangaard
25 min. 2002
In Broken Dreams, filmmaker Annette Mangaard chronicles depression, a relentless descent into the innermost self. Shot on super 8 and 16mm with a handwind bolex camera, the film layers fractured half-remembered events from her childhood into a barrage of images and symbols—the hard façade of city towers, the stark white tip of a canoe gliding into oblivion, the dry whispering of prairie grass, the grainy distortion of an angry dog. The archetypes of Mangaard's pain paint a breathtaking portrait of sadness and turmoil, a state of mind out of which she begins to emerge through the power of dreams. In her words, “Only those who have been there know how deep the recesses of the mind can be, how dark the world can become.”
Subject(s): Film studies, Mental health
Jacqueline Levitin
Health and Home/Simon Fraser University
22 min. 2003
Also available on DVD
Homeless women and women in desperate straits on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside found a safe haven when Bridge Housing for Women opened in 2001. This opening culminated a 20-year effort by neighbourhood residents and activists to create a place where women could escape the dangers of the streets and get support to come off drugs and alcohol. The women who created the project and the women who call Bridge home tell their stories.
Building Bridge grew out of the Simon Fraser University research project, Health & Home, that investigates the relationship between housing and the health of women on the Downtown Eastside.
Subject(s): Addiction, Community dynamics, Housing, Poverty, Women
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