Issues of voice, changes of heart: personal and political implications of women's feature film production in Canada

Within the already colonized realm of Canadian film production, fictional narrative films made by women are further marginalized, for the most part going unseen and unacknowledged. This thesis examines thirty-four English language films by and about women, representing the work of twenty-seven filmmakers, in the context of a 'cultural circuit', encompassing interviews with the filmmakers , a consideration of the stories told in the films, and input from viewers. In their quest to present realistic, yet optimistic, portrayals of women's lives, the filmmakers succeed in producing empowering stories of women which provide an alternative to the damaging and stereotypical images most often found in mainstream cinema. Addressing various aspects of feminist film theory, it is argued that storytelling through film is a powerful communicative force, and it is vital that women's perspectives be seen and heard in this arena if ours is to become a more enriched, inclusive and equitable society.