"How did they get control? Well the answer is
we all let them. The teachers, the administrators and the taxpayers, the neighbours,
the kids themselves. We allowed them to take control, and we should never do that."
– Dr. Ted Hunt, former Vice-Principal,
Prince of Wales Secondary School
For over a decade, Prince of Wales Secondary School in Vancouver ran a special Outdoor Education program called "Quest." Three male teachers worked with a selected group of students for five months in the classroom followed by five months in the wilderness. Students in the Quest program were isolated from the rest of the student population and considered "special." But all was not what it appeared to be; and despite rumours and suspicions, no one wanted to call into question what might be going on in the program.
Decades later, former students share stories of control, manipulation, exploitation, isolation, and abuse–a powerful illustration of the difficulty and length of time it can take for victims of abuse to come forward. One student reflects that it was only in their 30s they were able to analyze and fully appreciate the gravity of what had transpired and how it affected them. Now in their 40s, some of them are moving forward to heal. School of Secrets provides a sober lesson in the need for transparency and accountability in any public institution.
Subject(s): Education, Ethics, Isolation, Psychology, Public policy, Sexual abuse, Vancouver, Youth
Law Courts Education Society / Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf
/ Gay Hawley
87 min. 1998
This video teaches about the Canadian court system. It is done in American Sign Language with captioning for hearing audiences or those who do not understand ASL. Structured in the form of three half-hour dramas, See You in Court provides information about arrest and court procedures, both for criminal and civil courts. The video is accompanied by both a viewer's guide and a more extensive teacher's guide.
| Subject(s): Deaf and Hard of Hearing - American Sign Language (ASL), Inclusive education, Law | American Sign Language Closed or Open Captioning |
Katerine Giguère/Sylvie Van Brabant
Films du Rapide-Blanc
56 min. 2005
English, French and Indonesian with English sub-titles
Also available on DVD
At times, the whole charitable concept of foreign aid can create dependencies and corruption that do more to hinder than to help our far-flung cousins. In Seeds of Hope, set on an Indonesian isle, our two well-meaning protagonists wonder what they have gotten themselves into. They quickly realize that if they do not distance themselves from the local aid organizations, their projects—planting medicinal herb gardens and creating jobs through eco-tourism—will come to nothing. After months of language studies and fruitless meetings, they find the village of Lekolodo. There, they embark on a journey with the inhabitants that will profoundly change them all and ultimately become a model of autonomy cited by the Indonesian government. Seeds of Hope is a touching example of tenacity in the face of everyday evil.
Subject(s): Asian studies, Community dynamics, Development, Poverty
Susanne Tabata
Tabata Productions Associates
45 min. 1995
"If you don't discuss social issues, what are you doing with your children, with your classroom? You don't discuss society...human beings? If that's what education is, then let's throw it out."
- Noam Chomsky
A group of articulate high school students discuss racism, poverty, gender equality, homophobia and violence and examine the way these issues are addressed or not addressed in the classroom. Teachers add their analysis, providing guidelines on how to create a safe, open classroom environment where all students feel comfortable discussing these issues. They also explain their responsibility to supply classroom materials that reflect the diverse student body and to give workshops that help students understand cultural and socio-economic difference. Noam Chomsky, professor of Linguistics and Philosophy at M.I.T., adds his comments on the need for social responsibility in the education system.
This documentary is an excellent resource for student teachers. It offers insight into student expectations of the education system and gives examples of teaching strategies that help students develop social awareness as well as a positive sense of self. Shaking the Tree can also be used as a teaching resource to introduce and encourage discussion among secondary school students. It is formatted to be shown in sections and is accompanied by a comprehensive discussion guide.
Subject(s): Education, Gay, Gender equality, Identity, Immigrants & Immigration, Racism, Relationships, Youth
Linda M. Franchi/
Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf
80 min. 1991
Sharing Secrets is Canada's first video that confronts child sexual abuse using talented deaf actors. Aimed at ages 11 and up, the story is told in American Sign Language with voice narration added for hearing audiences. The story not only includes sexual abuse prevention strategies, but exposes audiences to Deaf culture, language, and individual values. This serious but heart-warming drama demonstrates how deaf youth can end the isolation of sexual abuse that often destroys their self-esteem. Divided into three parts to allow for discussion, Sharing Secrets is available closed captioned with a user's guide.
| Subject(s): Deaf and Hard of Hearing - American Sign Language (ASL), Inclusive education, Sexual abuse, Sexuality, Youth | American Sign Language Closed captioning |
Gwen Haworth/
Shapeshifter Films
70 min. 2007
Available on DVD and VHS
“I loved She’s a Boy I Knew–made with loving care, it dares to reveal an inner journey without restraint. Beautifully executed, profoundly insightful. I found myself appreciating it as a mother, a friend, a sister and a filmmaker.” –Anne Wheeler, Director, Better Than Chocolate
Vancouver filmmaker Gwen Haworth documents her male-to-female gender transition partially through the voices of her anxious but loving family, best friend, and wife. Finding self-empowerment through self-representation, Haworth’s feature debut is a comic, heartbreaking, and uplifting autobiography that breaks away from marginalized depictions of transsexuals that populate mainstream media by focusing on a family whose bonds unexpectedly strengthen as they re-examine their preconceptions of gender and sexuality.
“Gwen Haworth creates an emotional space that engulfs the viewer in a way that’s extremely rare in any film, whether fiction or non-fiction.” –Kevin Griffin, The Vancouver Sun
Subject(s): Family, Filmmaking, Identity, Isolation, LGBT, Psychology, Sexuality
Sylvie Fefer
7 min. 1985
(Also available in French as Une petite histoire.)
Using a simple animated style, this film offers a fast, funny, and simple lesson in sex role assumptions.
Subject(s): Body image, Children's films, Family, Humour
Pat Barker
47 min. 1997
Park benches--for most of us they are just a place to sit. In Vancouver, British Columbia, they have become much more than that. With the help of the city park board's bench program, citizens are able to express their grief and their love.
In this charming documentary, Pat Barker chronicles these memorials through their donor's heartfelt stories of tragedy, romance, and remembrance. From the wife who comes to clean her husband's bench, to the gay man who brings his dogs to the bench dedicated to his partner, to the man who owns numerous benches--including one dedicated to the 1993 Vancouver Summit between Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin--fond reminiscences stay fresh. Intertwined throughout are the accounts of the bench program workers and of those who read these monuments, like author Bill Richardson, emphasize the role the benches play in bringing a community together.
Sitting on a Story illustrates the search for healing after a loved one's death. It also celebrates the exuberance and humour of humankind.
Award: Best Cultural Documentary, Hot Docs Festival
Subject(s): Community dynamics, Grief, Love, Vancouver
Reel Feelings
20 min. 1976
So Where's My Prince Already? delivers a stunning salvo straight to the heart of the matrimonial bed. Its series of vignettes could serve as a cautionary tale for girls: beware socially constructed dreams. They can be hazardous to your self-image, let alone your health.
Subject(s): Relationships, Satire
Moira Simpson
16 min. 1981
Solitude - that extraordinary place to which we all may travel that has the potential to extract us from the routine of our lives and force us to look inward. By using dramatic sequences and documentary images combined with stream-of-consciousness narration, the filmmaker allows us to share the solitary experiences of a woman alone in Amsterdam.
Subject(s): Isolation
Saralee James
30 min. 1991
This final project of Vancouver film and video artist Saralee James began as an inquiry into homelessness in New York, particularly in her neighbourhood of Tompkins Square Park in the Lower East Side. Here she met and befriended Solomon, an 85-year-old man whose central European Jewish origins, love of opera, and commitment to progressive politics and philosophy resonated with her own. When Solomon fell ill, Saralee documented her fight to ensure he got proper care. The resulting video is an unpretentious and often humorous look at an unusual friendship.
Subject(s): Health care, Poverty, Relationships
Mirtha Rivera
Common Weal Community Arts
4 min. 2003
Drag kings have gained visibility in the last few years and Mirtha Rivera's bold short doc explains their staying power. “It's not about me being a man,” she asserts in her four-minute piece from the Common Weal series I Can See Queerly Now. Though her workshops for budding kings offer a few practical tips, she points out that the experience goes far beyond putting on facial hair or shoving a sock in her pants. “I feel more comfortable exploring my masculinity on stage and therefore reconciling those feelings off stage.” Through this emerging performing art, Rivera and her king compatriots engage in a truly feminist act that explores gender, identity, sexuality, masculinity and femininity.
Subject(s): Gay, Identity, Lesbian, Poetry/Performance, Sexuality
Marianne Kaplan/Cari Green
MSK Productions
54 min . 1990
This ground-breaking documentary from Vancouver filmmaker Marianne Kaplan offers an exciting glimpse of the process of change presently taking place in South Africa. Instead of detailing the horrors of apartheid, Songololo portrays the emergent post-apartheid culture, born of the collective past and aspirations of black South Africa. This vision is articulated through the work and words of two well-known black artists. Gcina Mhlophe is a feminist writer and storyteller; Mzwakhe Mbuli is a musician and contemporary praise poet. Featuring dynamic footage from live performances, Songololo shows the powerful role Black South African popular culture plays in the people's survival and their ability to affirm their lives and their own power amid suffering and repression.
Awards: Golden Gate Award (Best Arts Documentary), San Francisco Film Festival; Kathleen Shannon Award, Yorkton Film Festival; Certificate of Merit, Chicago Film Festival; Golden Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival; "Student of Valais" Award, Switzerland
Subject(s): Black culture, Human rights, Music, Poetry/Performance, Politics, Storytelling, World cultures
Ève Lamont/Nicole Hubert
Films du Rapide-Blanc
Two versions: 43 min. & 82 min. 2002
French with English sub-titles
Also available on DVD
Montreal, summer 2001: During the city's acute housing crisis, young militants and people with poor lodgings or none at all barricaded and occupied a vacant building. Claiming the right to housing and the desire to live alternatively, they formed a politicized squat. Under the voraciously watchful eye of the media, these 50 squatters tried to develop a well-organized residence. A social order developed, with meetings and work schedules that included painting and repairs. Initially endorsed by Montreal City Hall, the squat garnered sensational media coverage that led to public outcry and forceful police reaction. Squat! provides an inside look at the controversy surrounding the squat, the reality of the homeless, and their efforts to improve their living circumstances.
"****Four stars. In the tradition of cinéma
vérité, Lamont leaves no stone unturned, from the squatters' infighting
to the media circus lying in wait to distort their every misstep. As building
inspectors, fire marshals and riot police rally against them, the squatters
continue to fight for decent shelter and survival… Squat! presents
an honest view of the economically disadvantaged and celebrates the strength
of the human spirit in the face of adversity."
– Chart Attack
Award(s): Best Direction Award, Hot Docs 2003
Subject(s): Community dynamics, Housing, Media studies, Poverty, Québec
Melanie Wood
Stranger Productions
45:30 min 2000
Also available on DVD
Internet technology has given pedophiles the world in a chat room, just a modem away from children in their home. This documentary follows the experiences of two teenagers who met predators online and came very close to a dangerous entanglement. The teens talk about their use of chat rooms, from the initial stages through increased involvement with individuals posing as someone their age. Internet safety for children and teens is discussed further by the "Cyber Angels" who work to educate the public on these issues, and by a police detective who disguises himself as a teen online to help ferret out predators and prevent further abduction attempts.
Subject(s): Children, about, Internet
Directed by Sharron Bates
Produced by Sharron Bates and Carmen Klotz
Beyond Your Eye Productions
48:00 minutes
2007
Closed captioned
Coffee. It is the second most valuable item of legal international trade after oil. Billions of us drink it every day, but how many of us really know much about the coffee we consume or the farmers who grow it?
There are thousands of coffee farms in Northern Peru, employing hundreds of thousands of people. Of those, approximately 30% are women. The attitudes towards Peruvian women in remote farming areas are shaped by the culture of machismo. 44% of women live in poverty and 70% have experienced some sort of violence. It is this repression that drove women to come up with an idea that would give them some financial independence from the men in their community and within their families. Their idea was to create Café Feminino, a women's coffee co-op. Café Femenino is a truly unique concept which is breaking the chains of machismo, improving relationships between women and men, uplifting families, increasing levels of education, improving quality of life, and helping women in need all over the world.
STRONG COFFEE is an informative look at what it takes to get coffee into your morning cup and what your coffee purchase means to the farmers toiling in the world's coffee belt. It is a story of hope, determination, universal love, and tremendous strength.
For more information please visit the STRONG COFFEE: The Story of Café Femenino website.
Subject(s): Agriculture, Community dynamics, Consumerism, Economics, Ethics, Fair trade, Human rights, Women–work
Moving Images Distribution
402 West Pender St, Ste 606, Vancouver, BC CANADA V6B 1T6
tel: 604.684.3014 toll-free: 800.684.3014
fax: 604.684.7165
Send us an e-mail