Directing
Live performance clips are combined with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews in which the performers candidly share their life experiences, offer insights into the art of comedy, and discuss the obstacles facing gays and other minorities within the entertainment industry. Diverse in their approaches these performers share a talent for humor which speaks to universal human experience. What emerges is a hilarious and inspiring film about the power of laughter to communicate, heal, and transcend social prejudices.
Made in the early 1990s, this award-winning Canadian documentary presents the stories of gay and lesbian teenagers who have come out to their family and friends. The journeys for most were emotional and sometimes painful, but ultimately a source of strength and hope. Also included are the tales of young transvestites and street hustlers who have had to leave home because of rejection by their families. P-Flag, a support group for parents of gays is also briefly profiled.
Recovering Love peels away the layers of prejudice and punishment that confront women, especially mothers‚ who are dealing with addiction. This documentary shows the impact of that condemnation, but also looks deeper into the systemic issues that lead to addiction in the first place, including trauma and abuse, racism, and discrimination. This is a documentary about women who are deeply committed to their relationship with their children and who are also committed to recovering from their addictions. The documentary includes the wise voices of their kids who have experienced their mothers' substance use and who are so much a part of their mothers' reclaiming their hopes.
A documentary telling the story of Jim Egan, an outspoken champion of gay rights in Canada since the 1940s and 50s. Egan and his partner, Jack Nesbit, took the Candian federal government to court in a historic attempt to win legal recognition for same-sex partnerships. An intimate and moving portrayal of a relationship that spans nearly 50 years of gay history in North America.
Home Safe Hamilton is the third film in the documentary series from Sky Works that deals with how Canadian families with children live with the threat and the reality of homelessness. The film examines systemic roots of homelessness as a consequence of economic restructuring, discrimination and displacement. It includes stories of steelworkers affected by industrial layoffs, high school students living in poverty, new Canadians and Aboriginal families.
