Online cinema
Beans
Tracey Deer
Twelve-year-old Beans is on the edge: torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence; forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she needs to be during the Oka Crisis, the turbulent Indigenous uprising that tore Quebec and Canada apart for 78 tense days in the summer of 1990.
À qui appartient ce gage?
Clorinda Warny
Marthe Blackburn
À qui appartient ce gage? (Who owns this pledge?) is a cry for help for women and their children in the context of the much-discussed issue of state-run daycare. Unequivocally, women are saying they can’t take it anymore, and are calling for shared parenting. Parents from three different Montreal communities with popular daycare facilities contributed their stories to this film: working-class, underprivileged and young protesters.
Je vous salue salope : La misogynie au temps du numérique
Guylaine Maroist
Léa Clermont-Dion
In fall 2017, the MeToo hashtag shook the planet, sparking an unprecedented wave of sexual assault accusations in the Western world. Now a storm of virulent misogyny rages on more than ever, flooding our screens with harassment, defamation, lynching, sextortion, the sharing of intimate photographs, rape and deaths threats. . . According to the UN, 73% of women are abused online. The feature-length documentary Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age follows four women and one man whose lives have been particularly affected by online violence: Laura Boldrini, the most harassed female politician in Italy; Kiah Morris, an African-American politician in the state of Vermont who resigned following severe harassment and threats from right-wing extremists; Marion Séclin, a French YouTuber who received more than 40,000 sexist messages, including rape and death threats; Laurence Gratton, a young teacher in Quebec who was harassed for more than five years by a former colleague; and Glen Canning, the father of Rehtaeh Parsons, a young girl who took her life after photos of her rape were spread online. What is it like to live with this so-called “virtual”…
Fantas
Halima Elkhatabi
Tania decides to take her horse Fantas to meet her friends in her working-class neighborhood. By sharing her passion, she seeks to bring together two parts of herself, two worlds that have never crossed paths before and which will collide in an urban tale with surreal overtones.
Le Mythe de la Femme noire
Ayana O’Shun
The Myth of the Black Woman is a feature-length documentary that investigates the image of black women in society, from the hypersexual Jezebel to the lovable Nanny to the sassy “Bitch.” Experts say the Black community is the minority most affected by images created centuries ago. Black women, acclaimed leaders in their fields, tell of the challenges these representations of them bring to their lives. Their compelling stories are supported by compelling, never-before-seen archival footage from centuries past to the present. This hard-hitting film was also a favorite for many of us. It is sad, however, to still see the need for a film that reports on a reality that should no longer exist. Relevant, dynamic and daring, this film gives voice, without compromise. Its classic and very effective form seduces by its asserted speech, the sensual beauty of the images, the intelligence of the testimonies and the delicacy of its musical framework. A powerful tool for popular education and mobilization.
Nos amours
Diane Beaudry
Is love still possible? Ariane and Jacques each ask themselves this question. They’ve lived through a series of thwarted love affairs, against a backdrop of feminism and the sexual revolution. Now they’re about to embark on the final lap of a race to happiness that looks like a race against time. Will they become love retirees? Will they be able to invent a new love scenario? What emotional legacy will they pass on to their children? Between their testimonies, the enlightening remarks of “specialists of the heart” and… A few tango steps, this passionate film strikes a blow at the heart of romantic love, opposing it with a courageous reflection on the loving destiny of men and women today.
Rêve aveugle
Diane Beaudry
Luc and Viviane despair of not having any children of their own. Wanting to finally form a real family, they decided to adopt one. However, between the time they set out to adopt and the arrival of Ai Thuy, a lot had happened in their lives. Too much, perhaps, to adjust to the needs of the long-awaited Vietnamese girl.
Sur le dos de la Grande-Baleine
Diane Beaudry
Documentary on the debates surrounding the La Grande Rivière hydroelectric complex, twenty years after the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. While some celebrate the successes of Quebec engineering, others cry apocalypse and genocide. A highly publicized struggle for control of the Radissonie.
Apprendre… Ou à laisser
Diane Beaudry
Why are hundreds of thousands of children unhappy at school? A journalist wants to find out, and through her lengthy investigation, takes us through the emotions of a mother at a loss when faced with her daughter Odile’s failure at school. A story that starts badly but ends well.
La double histoire d’Odile
Diane Beaudry
Eileen is an eleven-year-old who hates school. She feels stupid compared to the other kids, especially in math, and a large birthmark on her arm has always made her feel different. But Eileen has a secret imaginary twin who is happy and self-assured. With the help of her parents, her teacher, and her own spirited imagination, Eileen conquers her insecurities and gains the confidence she needs. Eileen’s Bag brings a message of hope to the many youngsters who feel left out and inadequate at school. Without preaching or didacticism, the film shows that children can be encouraged to feel good about themselves and ultimately realize their potential.
L’Autre Muraille
Diane Beaudry
Filmed in Shanghai, this film shows how, despite the reforms established by the Chinese government to ensure women’s equal status with men, certain customs remain unchanged, with feudal tradition forming a sort of age-old wall. This is particularly true when it comes to the status of women in the workplace. The same applies to the marriage of girls, which is subject to all kinds of family constraints and government restrictions. So much so that the one-child policy leads future parents to wish for a boy rather than a girl.
Histoire à suivre…
Diane Beaudry
This feature-length documentary reflects on the journey of women in politics. Since women were granted the right to vote and stand for election in 1940, only around forty of them at most have managed to take their seats in the National Assembly in Quebec City. Filmed during the campaign for the presidency of the Parti québécois in the fall of 1985, Histoire à suivre… (History to be followed…) features interviews with several of these women politicians, including Pauline Marois, Louise Harel and Lise Payette.