Gerry Rogers

This is the story of The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood, a surreal comedy about a lowly bureaucrat and his fantasies of becoming president of an independent Newfoundland, that was released in 1986. A cult classic in Canadian cinema, the film is well known for the marathon it took to even get made. Principal photography on the film began eight years earlier, in 1978. Written and directed by comedy legend Andy Jones and his brother, Mike Jones, the movie was made on a shoestring budget, is packed with familiar faces and helped pave the way for Newfoundland and Labrador's vibrant film industry. And it was the first film ever both filmed and produced, from start to finish, in Newfoundland.

Fool Proof takes us on an international roller coaster ride as we explore the history and art of clowning. With professional clown Beni Malone as ringmaster, this one hour documentary is a visual feast which celebrates the rich history and recent renaissance of the most animated of performing arts. This journey comes full circle when Malone is joined on stage by his aerialist daughter, Anahareo. Fool Proof combines rare archival footage with fascinating real life stories, to create a springboard into the world phenomena of circus arts.

This short documentary looks at how the community of London, Ontario, has implemented a plan to address the issue of domestic violence. These efforts, spearheaded by police, lawyers, doctors, transition house staff, women's groups, and social services agencies have turned London into a rare model community. There, The London Battered Women's Advocacy Clinic and "Changing Ways," a therapy program for men who batter, contribute to the city's innovative attempt to break the cycle of violence. Moving On is part of the The Next Step, a 3-film series about the services needed by and available to battered women.

The short documentary looks at some innovative approaches to providing services and accommodation for battered women in rural, northern, and Native communities. Filmed in Thompson and Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, and West Bay Reserve, Ontario, the film introduces the women who operate and use various types of accommodation such as transition houses, transition apartments, and safe houses. The shelter on West Bay Reserve is singled out as a project that was built by women for women to stand as a reminder that the Reserve will not tolerate violence against women. A Safe Distance is part of the The Next Step, a 3-film series about the services needed by and available to battered women.

Gerry Rogers, a filmmaker in Newfoundland, documents her personal battle with breast cancer. With her partner Peggy and lots of support from family and friends, she makes her way to recovery.

Mary recounts to her daughter Eva the childhood story of when Mary and her father fell through the ice on a frozen pond.

With quiet intelligence and wry humour, retired documentary filmmaker Kathleen Shannon takes us through the arc of her life and career. Beginning with childhood, moving through her formative years, to her overwhelming desire to give women a chance to tell their stories, this film paints a vibrant portrait of one woman who blazed the way. It's a story of struggle, persistence, and success… and of course, of the NFB's Studio D.

A teacher attempts to teach his students to properly enunciate the letter 'R'.

She has been compared to everyone from Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen. A music critic famously wrote of her “What if Bob Dylan had been born a Canadian lesbian?” She once hired an unknown songwriter named Tori Amos as a backup singer, and she has been cited as an influence by everyone from Ani diFranco to the Indigo Girls. We are, of course, speaking of Ferron. No last name needed - just Ferron. And a guitar. In this remarkably intimate documentary, Gerry Rogers chronicles the return of the folk legend as she picks up the pieces after a 10-year absence from music.

Sexually abused by her father from infancy to early adolescence, Shirley Turcotte is now in her thirties and has succeeded in building a rich and full life. To further reconcile her past and present, she is returning to the people and places of her childhood. Her mother, brothers and sister, all of whom were also caught up in the cycle of family violence, openly share their thoughts. Their frank disclosures will encourage survivors of incest to break through the silence and betrayal to recover and develop a sense of self-worth and dignity.

December 6, 1989. Sylvie Gagnon was attending her last day of classes at the University of Montreal's École Polytechnique, when Marc Lépine entered the building. Separating the women from the men, he opened fire on the women students, yelling 'You're all a bunch of feminists.' Sylvie survived, while fourteen other women were murdered. This video makes the connection between the massacre and male violence against women, setting the stage for an exploration of misogyny and sexism.

Gerry Rogers' latest film features Leida and Ken, another Pleasant Street resident and cancer patient, on a journey that is by turns harrowing, funny, gut-wrenching and inspiring. "Pleasant Street" is not just a follow up to "My Left Breast" - it is a powerful depiction of a two people learning how to navigate the struggles of a terrible illness while witnessing first hand the powerful love of community.