Elizabeth Murray
8:30 min. 1988
Letters, home movies, and family stories are woven together to create a woman's personal narrative. Her story speaks of cycles of tradition and the identity one finds in one's heritage.
Depression: Fighting the DragonDreamfilm Productions |
*As seen on CTV's
W-Five. |
"I would work and work and do good stuff and then I
would kind of fall off the face of the earth".
– Karen Liberman, Head of the Ontario Mood Disorders
Association
This documentary provides new insight into an illness that is growing with every generation—depression. One in ten people suffers from it, and the World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2020, depression will be second only to heart disease as the leading cause of premature death and disability worldwide.
Depression: Fighting the Dragon highlights the importance of early detection to attack the problem promptly and prevent future relapses. The program features personal stories from several people who are courageous in their struggle to hold the "dragon" at bay. Their stories are interspersed with comments on the condition and new research in brain mapping from a number of professionals, including Dr. Anthony Levitt of the Sunnybrook Centre in Toronto, Dr. Gary Hasey of McMaster University, Dr. Vivek Kusamakar of Dalhousie University and Dr. Helen Mayberg, a neuroscientist with the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto.
Unfortunately, the social stigma surrounding depression often causes patients to hide their illness from family and peers. Education and a growing social awareness are crucial to effectively addressing this potentially fatal illness. Michael Wilson, Canada's former Finance Minister, helps break the silence by sharing his own tragic experience with a son who suffered with depression that eventually led to suicide.
Subject(s): Isolation, Mental health, Psychology
Directed by Sharon Barlett and Maria LeRose
Produced by Sharon Barlett, Maria LeRose and Sue Ridout
Dreamfilm Productions
42 min. 2008
Available on DVD and VHS
Canada's universal health care system was the envy of the world. But today five million Canadians don't have a family doctor. As a result, when we get sick we either clog up hospital emergency rooms or go to walk-in clinics that don't know our medial histories and can offer little continuity of care. The situation is already critical, and is about to get much worse–with a huge bulge of baby boom doctors about to retire, and younger doctors not inclined to sacrifice personal lives for their careers.
How did we get here? And how do we get back to the level of primary health care that we believe is our right as Canadian citizens? Filmmakers Sharon Bartlett and Maria LeRose set out on a cross country journey,talking to ordinary Canadians, doctors, and health care experts to investigate the present crisis , its causes and possible solutions.
Subject(s): Careers, Community dynamics, Health care, Public policy
Lisa Doyle
7 min. 1991
A humorous and precise "rant" that targets the dead zone of repetitive menial tasks in the food service industry - washing dishes, mopping floors, and wiping the tops of napkin holders until they gleam. Sexism, racism, overbearing employers, and toxic cleaning products are all targeted in this acid ode to the crummy job.
Awards: Silver Plaque (Experimental), Chicago International Film Festival; Golden Sheaf, Yorkton Film & Video Festival; Best Experimental, Melbourne Film Festival; Best Experimental, New York Short Film Expo; Best Experimental, Montana Film Festival; Best Experimental & Best Post-Secondary Video, B.C. Student Film Festival
Subject(s): Business, Careers, Gender equality, Humour, Restaurants, Women - Work
Shirley Anne Claydon
Streetwise Productions
27 min. 1997
This inspiring look at non-traditional career choices for women presents commentary from a diverse group of women engineers. They enthusiastically explain what their work involves and what it means to them personally. As they speak, the resounding message is that young women should consider all options when planning for their futures.
The following women are among those featured in Women in Engineering:
Subject(s): Careers, Women - Work
Michelle Porter/Scott Renyard
Compact Films
42:00 min.
2009
Available on DVD and VHS
A little liquid or powder is slipped into a drink. Women are being drugged into unconscious or semi-conscious states and being raped. They often have little or no memory of the attack or attacker–just the feeling that something horrible has happened. Due to the lack of awareness about these drugs, women are unaware of how vulnerable they are, and perpetrators are getting away with their crimes. Women need to know what they can do to protect themselves, heal, and potentially send their attackers to prison. Dissolve is a documentary on drug-facilitated sexual assault that will inform, provoke and engage both men and women.
Subject(s): Criminology, Ethics, Health, Human rights, Psycology, Sexual abuse, Violence against womenLorna Boschman
25:30 min. 1991
Doing Time takes a fresh look at the lives of women who have been locked inside the Canadian system. This is the video interpretation of a sculptural installation that was the result of a collaboration between four ex-inmates (Michelle Christensen, Geri Ferguson, Lyn MacDonald, and Bea Walkus) and Vancouver artist Persimmon Blackbridge. Through personal stories and statements, the women explore issues such as poverty, racism, violence against women, and the difficulty of rejoining society after a prison term.
Subject(s): Prisons, Sculpture, Women - Prisons
Riley Inge
Ryze Productions
16 min. 2003
Includes discussion guide
Also available on DVD
Riley Inge, formerly on stage with the Motown group The Temptations, wrote and directed this short drama that educates both children and adults about bullying and violence.
Matt is a troubled boy who takes out his frustrations on other children. Everyone around him—his parents, sister, classmates, teacher—reacts to Matt, but no one looks deeper to find out what's behind his aggression. Riley Inge, as the school custodian, steps in to provide Matt with guidance. He communicates clearly, asks Matt questions about his feelings, and listens without judgment. By accepting the individual but not the behaviour, Riley shows that we can all own the problem of bullying.
For several years, Riley has been touring schools and workplaces with his successful Steps To Overcoming Problems (STOP) program, discussing self-esteem, coping skills and conflict resolution. Following in the footsteps of STOP, the video looks at bullying as a community problem that needs a community-based solution. It also features Riley's original music performed with help from the students of Connaught Heights Elementary School in New Westminster, BC.
Subject(s): Bullying, Children, about, Family, Violence
Charles Wilkinson
Shore Films
30 min.
2008
Available on DVD and VHS
It’s a place that is growing in the heart of our cities—a place most of us occasionally glimpse from our cars. Down Here stops and enters, confronting a world that appears post apocalyptic. This harshly surreal world is inhabited by society’s fringe people—poor, hungry, sick, ashamed. These street dwellers share their stories about life without as they struggle to exist in a hostile and toxic environment.
Vancouver Director Charles Wilkinson filmed eight residents, with dignity, in a quiet and safe environment. One-on-one conversations are combined with images of the street to create an intimate portrait of people living without the safety net that was once considered a fundamental human right. In the words of one of the residents, “Sometimes I think this is a government experiment down here. I really do. How much can we endure?....we are the castaways.”
Award(s): Voted Most Popular Canadian Short at Vancouver International Film Festival; Best Documentary Short Film, Cleveland International Film FestivalSubject(s): Addiction, Community dynamics, Human rights, Poverty
Pat Barker/Solar Productions
50 min. 1997
"Many of today's dragon boaters may be unaware they share rituals with paddlers of thousands of years ago. What is it about this ancient Chinese sport that has captured the hearts of people of all ages from all over the world? Perhaps it is the ritualistic nature of the sport that has newcomers to dragon boating addicted after the first practice."
A fascinating contest of tactics and manoeuvres, dragon boat racing can be traced back over 2000 years. The race is a spectacular sight that is preceded by rich ceremonies and celebrations. Carved to resemble magnificent dragons, each boat has its own drum that resonates throughout the hull. Under the direction of a spiritual leader the numerous paddlers become one with the boat as they partake in this exciting event. The Dragon Within celebrates the North Americans, particularly Vancouverites, who have embraced this sport. They enthusiastically discuss the new traditions they bring to dragon boating.
Subject(s): Sports - Dragon Boat Racing
Eileen Hoeter
27 min. 1988
Three to four percent of North American women between the ages of 15 and 25 will suffer from a severe eating disorder. Two survivors, Erin and Molly, speak frankly about their battles with anorexia nervosa and bulimia. They describe their experiences at the onset of the disorder, through its progression and treatment, to how it has affected their lives today. We also hear about a family's experience of coping with the disease through the voice of Audrey, who describes her daughter's long period of anorexia. Her voice accompanies excerpts from a dance performance by C. Lee, "On the Road to Anorexia."
Awards: Bronze Apple Award, National Educational Film & Video Festival; Best Documentary, B.C. Film Festival; Finalist, American Film & Video Festival
Subject(s): Body image, Health - Diet
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