Film Categories: Work about Women

  • Nocturne for the Fireflies

    A group of little girls parade through a forest at night, each carrying a brown paper bag that glows with firefly-like flickering light. “Nocturne for the Fireflies” is a cinematic interpretation of a dream that explores the interconnected relationships among young girls. Evoking the storytelling style of folktales or children’s lullabies, the film depicts a midnight procession of young girls as a magical and transformative collective.

  • Afghanimation

    Women in Afghan refugee camps make woven rugs that tell a story of war. The intent of these rugs is unclear. Are they anti-war or an affirmation of military power? Are they made as tourist trinkets for soldiers and “peacekeepers,” or are they somber prayer rugs? The weavers of these rugs are anonymous to Western collectors because the rugs are attained through intricate channels of trade. This kind of silencing of the artists’ voices and the political ambivalence of their intent can be read as a metaphor for the Canadian military presence in Afghanistan. “Canadians don’t know what the Canadian…

  • Shift

    A low-tech sci-fi story set in a disenfranchised, near-future post-Crash urban sprawl, a violent place with no one in authority. We meet the Switchcocks, an all-girl revenge gang who make their living by taking on vengeance contracts for other Glop residents, and running drugs. One night, Lexi, gang member by night, courier by day, hooks the gang up with the dangerously potent drug called ‘shift.’ They sample it and then they run amok, taking ‘vengeance’ on an Enclave drone – without a contract: for fun. Lexi awakens the following day and must deal with the aftermath and her own role…

  • Parícutin

    In February of 1943, a fissure appeared in the cornfield of Dionisio Pulido, a farmer in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Ash and incandescent rocks emerging from this fissure preceded lava flows, violent explosions, and the birth of Mexico’s youngest volcano. Despite the prayers of the locals, the lava flows displaced the populations of two nearby villages and part of that of another. The final explosion of the Parícutin volcano was in January of 1952, nine years after its birth. By March of that year, it merely fumed, standing 424.6 metres tall-the first volcano ever to have been observed through…

  • But Some Are Brave

    “But Some Are Brave” is an innovative, multi-layered animated film project. This short poetic chronicle uses an oil paint-on-glass animation technique. It introduces iconic characters and historic events in a flurry of emotional and psychological rhythms. Using the metaphor and symbolic structural device of weaving, “But Some Are Brave” takes us through this visual poem like a spindle flying through layers of thread – telling us something of the cultural and political histories of communities under attack. Awards: Audience Award for Best Film, TAIS Animation Showcase, Toronto, 2009; Prix du publique for Best Animated Film, Cineffable Festival, Paris, 2009

  • Dish

    “Dish” is a unique documentary series created by David Quantic. Fast-paced editing and eye-popping graphics fuse together interviews with fans of popular culture to create a “chorus” of enthusiastic opinions. In this debut episode, 6 gay men talk about their obsession with Oprah.

  • Films of Su Friedrich, The: Volumes 1-5

    Digitally re-mastered from the original 16mm negatives, this collection of 13 films is essential for every library or media centre, as well as women’s and cinema studies programs. Since the 1970s, Friedrich’s skillful mix of experimental narrative and documentary forms, filled with provocative feminist and lesbian themes, has made her a groundbreaking member of the avant-garde film community and a pivotal force in the establishment of Queer Cinema. This collection of DVDs includes the filmmaker’s classic works such as SINK OR SWIM, HIDE AND SEEK, THE TIES THAT BIND, DAMNED IF YOU DON’T, and THE ODDS OF RECOVERY, as well…

  • Films of Su Friedrich, The: Volume 1 – The Ties That Bind

    “The Ties That Bind” is a powerful meditation on political responsibility and personal loss as seen through the story of the filmmaker’s mother, who grew up in Nazi Germany. Using rare archival footage, extensive interviews and critical commentary, Friedrich constructs a fearless dialogue between past and present, between mother and daughter. “The Ties That Bind” engages in a profound search for an understanding of history, and challenges us in our responsibility for the present. Languages: English, German * New Directors/New Films, MoMA * “Le Mois du Film Documentaire,” France * “In and Out of the Cold, 1945 to 1995,” International…

  • Films of Su Friedrich, The: Volume 2 – Damned If You Don’t

    “Damned If You Don’t” is Friedrich’s subversive and ecstatic response to her Catholic upbringing. Blending conventional narrative technique with impressionistic camerawork, symbols and voice-overs, this film creates an intimate study of sexual expression and repression. Featuring Peggy Healey as a young nun tormented by her desire for the sultry irresistible Ela Troyano. Languages: English, German PLUS BONUS FILMS: RULES OF THE ROAD 31 minutes, Color, USA, 1993, 16mm RULES OF THE ROAD is the story of a love affair and its demise through one of the objects shared by the couple: an old beige station wagon with fake wood paneling.…

  • Films of Su Friedrich, The: Volume 3 – Sink or Swim

    A contemporary classic and a landmark in autobiographical filmmaking, “Sink or Swim” is an unflinching account of the highly charged relationship between a daughter and her father. Through a series of twenty-six short stories, a young girl chronicles the childhood events that shaped her ideas about fatherhood, family relations, work and play. As the stories unfold, a dual portrait emerges: that of a father who cared more for his career than for his family, and of a daughter who was deeply affected by his behavior. Working in counterpoint to the forceful text are sensual black and white images that depict…