Woodgirls – A Duet for a Dream(2021)

Hafu(es)

A journey into the intricacies of mixed-race Japanese and their multicultural experiences in modern day Japan. For some hafus, Japan is the only home they know, for some living in Japan is an entirely new experience, and the others are caught somewhere between two different worlds.

Karen: Women In Sports(en)

Guest speakers from "Women In Motion" Conference, Vancouver, B.C. 1975.

Stronger Than a Bullet(en)

Iran, January 16th, 1979. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi flees after being overthrown. Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Tehran and proclaims the Islamic Republic on April 1st, 1979. In the same year, Saddam Hussein seizes power in Iraq and, after several border skirmishes, attacks Iran on September 22nd, 1980, initiating a cruel war that will last eight years. Since its outbreak, correspondent Saeid Sadeghi documented it from its beginning to its bitter end.

1979: Big Bang of the Present(de)

Deng Xiaoping's economic and political opening in China. Margaret Thatcher's extreme economic measures in the United Kingdom. Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution in Iran. Pope John Paul II's visit to Poland. Saddam Hussein's rise to power in Iraq. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The nuclear accident at the Harrisburg power plant and the birth of ecological activism. The year 1979, the beginning of the future.

Nila's Dream in the Garden of Eden(de)

Leyla and her six-year-old daughter Nila live in the holy city of Mashhad in Iran. Nila is the result of a temporary marriage, which allows a man to marry a woman even if he is already married. Children born from such a relationship are legally non-existent. As long as the father does not recognize the child, no birth certificate can be issued and Nila cannot attend school. The documentary depicts Leyla's tireless efforts to clarify Nila's legal status in order to offer her a perspective for her future. In a never-ending bureaucratic battle, Leyla fights not only against the legal system, but also against a judgmental society.

Sidney & Friends(en)

When his family tries to kill him, Sidney, who is intersex, flees to Nairobi where he meets a group of transgender friends. Together, they fight discrimination and discover life, love and self-worth.

Baghdad or Bust(en)

It's a satirical comedy that chronicles 3 young Canadian film makers from Yellowknife as they travel from northern Canada to the middle east just as the Iraq war is erupting. As well as being very funny, it is also quite thought provoking. The trio travels through Canada, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and finally Washington DC interviewing "regular people" for their comments on the impending war. This film won best documentary at the 2003 Whistler Film Festival in Canada.

Seven Winters in Tehran(fa)

After seven years in prison, a female student in Tehran is hanged for murder. She had acted in self-defence against a rapist. For a pardon, she would have had to retract her testimony. This moving film reopens the case.

Noncia(de)

The animated short film tells the moving story of the resistance and bravery of Alfreda Noncia Markowska, a young Roma woman from Poland who saved the lives of around fifty children and young adults during the Second World War.

Skidmakaren i Gielas(sv)

Documentary about the making of a pair of skis using old methods, from the scouting for the perfect tree to finished product.

Coded Bias(en)

Exploring the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.

Little Girl(fr)

7-year-old Sasha has always known that she is a girl. Sasha’s family has recently accepted her gender identity, embracing their daughter for who she truly is while working to confront outdated norms and find affirmation in a small community of rural France.

'Twas the Fight Before Christmas(en)

In this true-life twist on a holiday fable, Jeremy Morris brings a whole new meaning to Christmas spirit when his extravagant seasonal display sparks a dispute with his neighbors that lands them all in court.

Oproerkraaiers(nl)

Transgender Parents(en)

Transgender Parents takes the conversation about parenting and transsexuality to the next level: Some parents transitioned in the presence of their kids and some who transitioned prior to founding families - being out as trans and as parents, in ways that weren't possible 20 years ago. Transgender Parents centers the importance of access to building and continuing parent-child relationship in the presence of a gender transition. It is a tender look at the art of parenting, testimony to some of the hardest relational work in this life.

Build a Sturdy Workbench in Two Days with Christopher Schwarz(en)

Join Christopher Schwarz for a woodworking tutorial and learn how to build a workbench in two days. With a base built from standard 4×4 lumber, a base with half-lap construction, and a top made from two IKEA countertops, the demonstrated design is a seriously sturdy bench that no one will question for quality. Once the workbench construction is complete, you’ll have no shortage of working surface or dog holes.

Category: Woman(en)

When international sport governing bodies rule that 'identified' female athletes must medically alter their healthy bodies under the guise of fair play, four champion runners from the Global South fight back against racism, the policing of women's bodies in sport, and the violation of their human rights.

Bandite(it)

Terry's Little Village(en)

Terry Wilson is a 70-year-old lifelong resident of Meadowvale Village, Ontario's first heritage district. As development looms and begins to destroy Terry's favourite place in the world, he recreates pieces of history in his backyard, crafting an oasis where it feels like nothing has changed. A beautiful tribute to his childhood, his mother, and his town, Terry passionately fights to preserve history in a world that's too anxious for change.

Googoosh: Made of Fire(en)

On stage since she was a toddler, Googoosh has been an icon of Iranian pop culture since the 1970s. Her progressive style and raw singing talent attracted worldwide acclaim and saw her performing alongside the likes of Tina Turner and Ray Charles. But the star's career came to an abrupt halt after the Islamic Revolution, which banned women from singing in public. Googoosh was placed under house arrest, where she remained for the next two decades. Niloufar Taghizadeh's documentary, which includes interviews with the charismatic singer (now in her seventies, but still performing and advocating for women and girls) and arresting archival footage, offers both a loving portrait of a national icon and a fascinating historical and cultural record of Iran.