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CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Remembering the NFB's groundbreaking women's film studio, 50 years later
Social Sharing An event in Cobourg, Ont., is shining a light on a precedent-setting piece of Canadian film history. And it all started in a basement room at the National Film Board. That was the first location of Studio D — created in 1974 with the purpose of making films by, for, and about women, and initially given a shoestring budget of just $100,000. Fifty-one years later, the studio is being highlighted by the Canadian Women in Film Museum with a screening of a documentary about its history, as well as a screening of one of the most acclaimed works to come out of it — the academy award-winning 1977 short documentary, I'll Find a Way. "Without that policy that the film board had started, I would have never gotten an opportunity to become a film director," Beverly Shaffer, director of I'll Find a Way, told CBC News. As outlined in a blog post by the film board last year, it was the NFB's Kathleen Shannon who pushed for, founded, and served as the first executive producer of Studio D, which gets its name from the NFB's traditional in-house letter naming system. "No such thing existed anywhere in the world at that time," said Shaffer of the publicly-funded, explicitly feminist film studio, which provided training and support to fledgling filmmakers until 1997 when it was shut down. "Initially, a lot of the women didn't have filmmaking experience, but the film board was surprised and astonished [to learn] there was a big audience for these films, because of the issues and the perspective that they were showing," she said. Those issues included difficult or under-covered topics like abortion around the world, queer life in Canada, pornography, motherhood and the dangers of nuclear war. Not only did audiences respond — critics did too, ultimately awarding Studio D filmmakers with 130 awards in total, including three Oscars. The first one of those, Shaffer's win in 1977, carried extra significance because it broke a multi-decade academy award dry spell for the film board. Rick Miller with the Canadian Women in Film Museum in Cobourg told CBC Toronto that he feels awareness about Studio D and its films is "pretty low," inspiring him to hold Sunday's screening event. "It aligns with the narrative of our museum, which is film history of Canadian women … and also aligns with our narrative of women who are overcoming the gendered expectations of their time," he said. The museum will screen a number of other Studio D titles this fall, Miller said. The NFB itself has also endeavoured to raise awareness about Studio D, uploading some 90 of its films to a new online channel in 2024. According to Suzanne Guèvremont, current NFB chairperson, the film board remains committed to gender parity, with 56 per cent of productions in 2023 and 2024 directed by women. It also sets targets for Indigenous, Black and racialized filmmakers, she said. "Studio D marked the NFB's first step on a broader journey toward equity, diversity and inclusion across all areas of our work," Guèvremont said in a statement.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Northern Ont.-based sculptor unveils bronze monument in Norway honouring WWII hero
Sculptor Tyler Fauvelle, is shown here with his 'Make Waves' monument – a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde - in Farsund, Norway on May 8, 2025. (Supplied/Tyler Fauvelle) Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle unveiled Make Waves, a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde, in Farsund, Norway, on May 8 – the 80th anniversary of VE Day, also celebrated as Liberation Day in Norway. Crowd in Farsund, Norway The crowd in Farsund, Norway, as 'Make Waves' – a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde made by northern Ontario-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle on May 8. 2025. (Supplied/Tyler Fauvelle) The statue honours Sunde, a trailblazing radio operator who served aboard the Norwegian merchant ship Mosdale during the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War. The public ceremony included dignitaries, veterans, and military representatives from Canada, Britain, and Norway. The Farsund monument is a twin to one Fauvelle unveiled in 2020 in Cobourg, Ont., Sunde's hometown. Born in 1918, Sunde dreamed of a maritime career – an unlikely ambition for a young woman at the time. 'Fern made righteous trouble pushing past schools that didn't want to train women as professional wireless radio operators, and then she broke all kinds of barriers to get on that ship in 1941, the most dangerous time of the Battle of the Atlantic,' Fauvelle said in an email to CTV News. The sculpture's name, 'Make Waves,' reflects Sunde's perseverance, the radio waves central to her work, and the wartime social changes for women. Tyler Fauvelle Sculptor Tyler Fauvelle, is shown here with his 'Make Waves' monument – a life-sized bronze monument commemorating Canadian war hero Fern Blodgett Sunde - in Farsund, Norway on May 8, 2025. (Supplied/Tyler Fauvelle) Aboard the Mosdale, Sunde faced seasickness, torpedoes, mined waters, and storms. In 1942, she married the ship's captain, Gerner Sunde, as both risked their lives in the war effort. The couple completed 78 of the Mosdale's record 96 Atlantic crossings, transporting vital supplies. In 1943, Norway's King Haakon VII awarded Sunde the Norway War Medal – an unprecedented honour for a Canadian woman – recognizing her bravery and the bond between Norway and Canada. 'Monuments such as Make Waves are tangible reminders,' Fauvelle said. 'History is always speaking to us. How can we recognize and resist the erosion of our liberties, without the example of those who came before us?' Sunde settled in Farsund after the war and lived there until her death in 1991. Back of Make Waves The back view of Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle's 'Mak Waves' monument in Farsund, Norway, on May 8, 2025. (Supplied/Tyler Fauvelle) The new bronze stands at Fern Sundes Plass, overlooking the Farsund fjord. Its counterpart remains in Cobourg's Victoria Park, commemorating Sunde and all Battle of the Atlantic veterans. Head of Make Waves The head of Sudbury-based sculptor Tyler Fauvelle's 'Make Waves' monument in Farsund, Norway, on May 8, 2025. (Supplied/Tyler Fauvelle) Fauvelle, a professional sculptor since 2008, has created numerous commemorative works across Ontario.
