Lulu Keating
Red Snapper Films
9 min 2000
Like polished gems, these middle-aged women are splendid, ripening but not fading. They are rich in intelligence, beauty and charm. So why are they unattached?
A little girl, Emlyn, watches with fascination as these beautiful women preen and socialize. If a girl like Emlyn learns how to dress, apply make-up, how to act feminine, she would be guaranteed to find a husband and have children ... but maybe it isn't so simple.
Subject(s): Humour, Relationships, Sexuality, Women
Beth Miller
Acorn New Media
22:00 min.
2007
Available on DVD and VHS
Kim and Carla–two crystal meth addicts–met during treatment for their addictions. Through their own words, and the words of family and counselors, we learn about the horrors of crystal meth addiction and the struggle to get and stay clean. Compelling testimony is interwoven with a letter Kim wrote to herself during her darkest days, at rock bottom.
Subject(s): Addiction
VideoWave Productions
12: 00 min. 1997
Scripted, directed, acted and edited by a group of teenagers from Denman Island, this video presents vignettes from a day in the life of four teenagers and the issues they face in their daily lives. Bullying, family abuse, eating disorders, drug addiction and suicide are all visited in this video that will provoke discussion. Accompanied by discussion sheet.
Subject(s): Addiction, Family violence, Youth
Penny Joy/Lina de Guevara
Media Network Society
27: 00 min 1996
(Also available in Spanish with English subtitles or Spanish
Only as De Tal Palo, Tal Astilla)
"I am using my new knowledge to help my younger son. At his age, the beginnings
of adolescence, he needs the support of his father."
Notions of masculinity are invariably passed from generation to generation. Like Father, Like Son
presents three men who were confronted with a harsh reality - they had to drastically alter their ideas of
manhood before it was too late. They each faced a crisis that forced them to reevaluate their violent behaviour
towards their families.
With the help of counsellor Esther Frid and narrative therapy, these men have been able to become more caring and respectful of their wives and children. By exploring the early influences that have affected their attitudes, Alfredo, Luis, and Victor are creating new definitions of masculinity to pass onto their sons. Interviews with the
men, their wives, and a group of counsellors from the Latin American Community Council (LACC) provide insight into the positive results of this type of therapy work.
Subject(s): Family violence, Men
Dena Ashbaugh/Jody Franklin
(r)evolution media
5 min. 2001
the lines i draw upon my body by Jody Franklin and Dena Ashbaugh is a deeply personal account of one woman's 20-year struggle with eating disorders. Images from her childhood and her modeling career, as well as medical slides, are projected onto her body as she reveals her story. She gazes upon infinite reflections of self while bathing in shadows. The result is and abstract, fragmented and disturbing portrait of a body at war with itself.
Subject(s): Body image, Health–Diet, Youth
Donna Barker
Adisen Productions
8 min. 2004
Includes discussion guide
Also available on DVD
Over 11 million American children took antidepressant drugs in 2003. And the numbers are growing quickly—particularly among children aged five and younger. Little Boy Blue blends startling statistics with expert testimony, a mock public service announcement and words-from-the-mouths-of-babes to deliver a message that is a hard pill to swallow.
University of Victoria drug-policy researcher Alan Cassels asserts "the [pharmaceutical] industry is in basically two businesses—the business of creating chemicals and the business of creating disease." He examines the manipulative advertising techniques employed by drug companies and points out that they spend more money educating doctors about drugs than all medical schools in Canada combined. He also highlights the research of Dr. Andrew Mosholder, a senior epidemiologist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In 2003, Mosholder found that children given antidepressants were nearly twice as likely to become suicidal.
Ultimately, this cautionary documentary challenges parents to arm themselves with questions before putting their children in the hands of "experts."
Subject(s): Children, about, Consumerism, Media studies, Mental health
Aerlyn Weissman/Cari Green
Homeboys Productions
Two versions: 47 min. & 71 min. 2002
Also available on DVD
This documentary, filmed over a 10-year period, centers on the debate over censorship as it follows Vancouver's Little Sister's Bookstore and its 20-year struggle with Canada Customs over the seizure of books. In the face of bigotry, bombings and repeated book seizures, it wages the most important legal battle in history against Canada Customs. The film features a cast of writers and activists, including Pierre Berton, Jane Rule, Sarah Schulman and Pat Califia-Rice, who speak out passionately on the issue of censorship. They are joined by lawyer Joe Arvay, who took this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, and John Dixon of the BC Civil Liberties Union.
Awards: Leo Award—Best Sound Editing in a Documentary
Subject(s): Censorship, Gay, Human rights, Law, Politics
Michael Mazo/Blake Williams/Leonard Terhoch
On Ice Productions/
Leaping Lizards Productions
45:30 min. 2006
Closed captioned
Also available on DVD
Lottery On Ice is a surprisingly intimate exploration of a 14-year-old boy and his parents risking everything, even the family itself, for the dream of playing in the NHL. It's a window onto a world of drama, super-sized expectations, and frequent controversy—like the one surrounding Thomas' parents. Tom and Carol Frazee have redefined parental sacrifice by legally separating, so that Thomas can live with his father within the catchment area of North Vancouver's North Shore Winter Club. In his final Bantam year in this elite hockey program, Thomas hopes to be drafted by a Major Junior team on the traditional route to the NHL. But will he play well enough to be noticed? Will he launch a hockey reputation that could ultimately be worth millions?
Sportscaster Tony Gallagher is critical of the hockey business, a machine that keeps the dream alive at the expense of many young lives. Dr. Alexis N. Peters, from the University of Calgary's Medical Bioethics, looks at how elite sports give children strong messages about conditional love. In meeting with the Frazees, Don Cherry reiterates his well-known position on the other side of the argument, seeing nothing wrong with Canada's great game.
As the Bantam draft approaches and pressure mounts, Lottery On Ice looks at important underlying questions. With the stakes so high and the children so young, many wonder, "Whose dream is it, anyway?"
Subject(s): Family, Sports–Hockey, Youth
Linda M. Franchi/
Cumberland County Family Planning
85 min. 1990
Frank discussions about relationships, sexuality, sexually transmitted
diseases, birth control, and sexual orientation are presented through a drama
about a family with four deaf teenagers who are struggling to understand their
own sexuality. Told in American Sign Language, with open or closed captioning,
it shows how these issues can be approached in ways that are respectful to
everyone involved. Voice narration has been added so that hearing audiences may
also benefit from this resource. The program is designed to allow breaks for
audience discussion, and is accompanied by a study guide.
| Subject(s): Deaf and Hard of Hearing - American Sign Language (ASL), Family, Inclusive education, Relationships, Sexuality | American Sign Language Closed or Open Captioning |
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