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Health and Safety (24)
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Autism: The Road BackSharon Bartlett & Maria LeRose 2005 54 minAutism: The Road Back charts the personal journey of three families with children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It talks to parents, service providers, and experts in the field about assessment, diagnoses, and options available for treatment, and provides guidance for families trying to navigate their way through the challenges of ASD in the first six years of their child's life. -
Am I the skinniest person you’ve ever seen?Eisha Marjara 2024 24 minWARNING: This film contains imagery of anorexia and eating disorders that may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised. “Hey, let’s go on a diet together.” As kids in a small Quebec town, Eisha and Seema were more than sisters, they were soul mates, and a joint diet offered a shared sense of purpose. But their carefree project would take a dark turn, pushing Eisha to the very brink of death. Consumed by anorexia, she found herself battling her own fragile body—stranded between childhood and adulthood. Decades later, she revisits her past in an exquisitely crafted work of auto-ethnography, evoking her unusual youth with aching lyricism. In addressing a tender love letter to the troubled girl she once was, she reaches contemporary audiences with a timely reflection on body image and self-acceptance.
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Being PreparedCarol Kunnuk 2021 9 minAs the global pandemic reaches into the Arctic Archipelago, Inuk filmmaker Carol Kunnuk documents how unfamiliar new protocols affect her family and community. Her vividly specific soundtrack juxtaposes snippets from local radio broadcasts, issuing health advisories in both Inuktitut and English, with the sweet sounds of children at play. A richly detailed and tender account of disruption and adjustment.
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BorderlineFergus McDonell 1957 28 minThis short film is a portrait of Nora Fenton, a 15-year-old girl who is sent to a home for problem teens because of her persistent defiance of parental authority and self-injurious behavior. Typifying the problems of emotional adjustment experienced by many adolescents, this story of conflict and rebellion shows how understanding, affection and firm parental guidance are the factors most needed in helping teens weather their most turbulent years.
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Beyond the Blues: Child and Youth DepressionMaureen Palmer 2004 56 minStatistics reveal that depression in children and youth is on the rise. In fact, it has increased by one-third in the past 30 years. Untreated depression costs a teenager in many ways: lost eductional opportunities, lost social opportunities and lost time.
Through the personal stories of three young people, this compelling documentary traces the journey of depression, from early signs and symptoms, to assessment, diagnosis and treatment. The documentary also helps shatter some stereotypes.
This powerful 3-part series on child and youth mental health sheds light on the current situation and offers practical tools to understanding the problems and knowing where to find solutions. Depressed kids don't just have a bad attitude--they have an illness. And the illness is treatable.
The two other titles in the series are Fighting their Fears: Child and Youth Anxiety and A Map of the Mind Fields: Managing Adolescent Psychosis. -
Beauty Begins Inside - What's Eating You?Sheila Murphy 1995 13 minWhat's Eating You? follows a pair of engaging teens on a voyage of discovery in being convinced that there is more to life than junk food. The hero and heroine are definitely into chips and soft drinks, but this film is nothing if not persistent, winning them over with a banquet of gags and information. Everything teens need to know about healthy eating and the four food groups is right here in irreverent, fun-filled morsels.
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Beauty Begins Inside - The Pressure ZoneSheila Murphy 1995 11 minThe Pressure Zone is a hilarious send-up of the forces that try to shape adolescent minds and bodies. Two mirrors--one promoting the perfect body through a merciless regime of muscle building and dieting, the other through tapping into the "essential essence" via meditation and herbal remedies--vie for loyal customers. As each advertises their vision as the right way, the teens are prodded, taunted and provoked into submission by making them believe that their bodies need improvement, but then the teenagers take control back from the mirrors and accept themselves from the inside out.
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Beauty Begins Inside - The "P" SyndromeSheila Murphy 1995 17 minIsabel is determined to go on a diet. Bruce and Melanie can't understand their attraction for each other. Jake spends hours in front of the mirror trying to achieve the right look, while Patrick is so grown up he is already a businessman. Enter Detective Stark, and the hunt for the Painfully Pugnacious Prickley Problem--puberty--is on. With help from his assistant Levert and intrepid biologist Fritz, he tracks down the syndrome. A hilarious send-up of detective movies, science-information shows and almost every other genre you can think of, the film cajoles, informs and inspires. A film for any teen who ever grew an inch.
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A Child Unlike Any OtherAnna Barczewska 2005 11 minIn this short documentary about autism, director Anna Barczewska examines the complex challenge of raising autistic children. Through the voice of Jan's devoted mother and the comments of specialists, the film offers an introduction to this neurological disorder that reduces one’s ability to communicate with the outside world.
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Every Dog's Guide to Complete Home SafetyLes Drew 1986 10 minThis hilarious short animation offers over 40 safety tips for homes with infants and young children. The film's hero is a very earnest, somewhat pompous, but endearing dog called Wally. A "professional" in home safety, Wally is assigned to a house with an infant whose parents have little safety consciousness. Accidents and near-accidents succeed each other with lightning speed, constantly putting Wally to the test.
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Fighting Their Fears: Child and Youth AnxietyMelanie Wood 2004 56 minAnxiety motivates us to get things done, but for some people, anxiety is not a driver. For many children, anxiety disrupts everyday life, interfering with their ability to make friends or go to school.
Through interviews with experts and three young people, this compelling documentary outlines the causes, symptoms and treatments for anxiety disorders and emphasizes the importance of early identification and intervention. In all of these stories there is hope.
This powerful 3-part series on child and youth mental health sheds light on the current situation and offers practical tools to understanding the problems and finding solutions. It captures real family stories, spotlighting the challenges and breakthroughs.
The two other titles in the series are Beyond the Blues: Child and Youth Depression and A Map of the Mind Fields: Managing Adolescent Psychosis. -
Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of EmpathyElle-Máijá Tailfeathers 2021 2 h 4 minFollow filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers as she creates an intimate portrait of her community and the impacts of the substance use and overdose epidemic. Witness the change brought by community members with substance-use disorder, first responders and medical professionals as they strive for harm reduction in the Kainai First Nation.
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A Kind of FamilyAndrew Koster 1992 53 minThis feature documentary tells the complex and touching story of Winnipeg city councilor Glen Murray and his 17-year-old adopted son Mike, whose struggles with addiction and behavioural problems cyclically repeat. Glen, now an Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament, was one of the first openly gay elected politicians in Canada. He adopted Mike during an era when homophobic stereotypes often prevented gay men and women from adopting children. Glen and Mike's relationship is always tenuous and always turbulent as they struggle to define themselves together and alone.
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Making Every Moment CountLeora Kuttner 2003 38 minDr Leora Kuttner, an award-winning filmmaker and an international expert in pediatric pain management, brings us this groundbreaking and comprehensive look at the emerging field of pediatric palliative care.
At the film's heart are five remarkable young people who speak with profound clarity and wisdom about being alive and their approach to death. Layering their stories with interviews, the film is a unique portrait of how families and professionals can come together during a highly emotional time to share in decision making, address fears of death and provide hope.
Dr Kuttner's films have been recognized by the Association for the Care of Children's Health, the Health Sciences Communications Association, and the National Council on Family Relations. -
A Map of the Mind Fields: Managing Adolescent PsychosisNijole Kuzmickas 2004 56 minUntil recently a diagnosis of psychosis was seen as the end to normal life. With onset occurring most often in youth from 13 to 25, this serious mental health disorder often has tragic consequences when undiagnosed or improperly dealt with.
Psychosis is a brain disorder where an individual experiences some loss of contact with reality. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia and disorganized thoughts and speech. Three people share their personal stories: Amanda, 16, Max, 12, and Tara, 18.
This powerful 3-part series offers practical tools to understanding the problems and finding solutions to mental health problems among children and youth. The two other titles in the series are Beyond the Blues: Child and Youth Depression and Fighting Their Fears: Child and Youth Anxiety. -
MouseologyBretislav Pojar 1994 8 minUsing the comic device of trained laboratory mice, this animated short examines the insidious nature of addiction to cigarette smoking, how it can begin in young people, and how difficult it is to quit.
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OCD: The War InsideMark Pancer & David Hoffert 2001 1 h 10 minWARNING: This film discusses the topic of OCD. Viewer discretion is advised.
This feature documentary explores the daily lives of individuals living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a misunderstood anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts, nagging fears and ritualistic behaviour. From the outside, its sufferers have no physical disabilities and have every appearance of being as functional as the next person. But inside, a daily war is waged for survival.
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The OrangeDiane Chartrand 1992 4 minIn this animated film for five- to eight-year-olds, a group of schoolchildren are amazed to discover that one of their classmates does not have enough to eat. With the help of their teacher, the children come to understand that his hardship affects them all and that the fight against poverty requires solidarity and sharing. Film without words.
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Putting It StraightWilliam Greaves 1957 14 minA film about "crooked" teeth, dealing with the causes of irregular teeth and stressing the importance of early, regular and systematic care of the primary teeth in preventing such conditions. The case of a young girl whose happiness was being undermined demonstrates that, treated in time, protruding teeth can be straightened. An animation sequence illustrates normal growth and development of the primary teeth and how irregularities can arise.
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Struggle for Control: Child and Youth Behaviour DisordersMelanie Wood 2005 57 minStruggle for Control: Child and Youth Behaviour Disorders is the fourth in a series of documentaries focusing on mental health issues facing BC's children and youth. Following the stories of four BC youth, this documentary sheds light on the causes, symptoms, community resources, and treatments of three of the most commonly-diagnosed behaviour disorders: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder.
Through these moving personal stories, viewers see how behaviour disorders affect the life of a child at home, at school, and the whole family. Struggle for Control debunks the myth that children with behaviour disorders are bad kids whose behaviour is irreversible. Behaviour disorders are treatable, and the key is early detection and early intervention. -
ShreddedDouglas C. Taplin & Richard Gaudio 2005 22 minThis short film follows a group of teenage boys eager to emulate the muscle-filled bodies of their media heroes. Revealing the lengths these boys are willing to go to achieve their goal, this film explores the use of supplements and the temptations of steroids. The boys relate their experiences, desires and motivations to the audience, who are left to draw their own conclusions.
The film is designed to provoke discussion among teenagers about body image and where lines should be drawn between healthy and dangerous behaviour. -
Sabrina's LawBarry Lank 2007 42 minA documentary on the creation of Sabrina's Law in the province in Ontario, the first legislation in the world to protect children with deadly allergies. On a September morning in 2003, Sara Shannon handed her 13-year-old daughter Sabrina lunch money, gave her a kiss and watched her walk into the halls of a high school in Pembroke, Ontario. The next day Sabrina Shannon died of complications brought about by anaphylactic shock. Suspected cause of death: french fries from the school cafeteria. French fries that she had eaten before, only this time the cafeteria was also serving poutine. All it would take is for the same tongs to be used in both dishes to set off Sabrina's reaction to dairy. Since then her parents have dedicated their lives to ensuring that what happened will never happen to another child.
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Toxic TrespassBarri Cohen 2007 52 minThis feature documentary is an investigation into the effects of the chemicals we are all exposed to in our daily lives. The film begins with the filmmaker Barri Cohen’s own 10-year-old daughter, whose blood carries carcinogens like benzene and the long-banned DDT. Then, it heads out to Windsor and Sarnia: Canadian toxic hotspots, with startling clusters of deadly diseases. The film presents passionate activists working for positive change, along with doctors and scientists who see evidence of links between environmental pollution and health problems. Carried by Cohen's passion for truth and her disarming openness, this moving documentary is essential viewing for anyone concerned about the effects of pollutants on our - and our children's - very DNA.
Toxic Trespass is accompanied by a comprehensive guidebook for educators, activists and concerned citizens, produced by the Women's Healthy Environment Network. -
Why Won't Tommy Eat?Judith Crawley 1948 16 minThis film examines the problem of children who won't eat, and what can be done about it. Tommy should be hungry, but he just picks at his food. Going back to early babyhood, the film traces in detail, how eating habits are formed, how individual likes and dislikes must be taken into consideration, and that the worst habit of all is the permanent battle over food. After this analysis, Tommy still sits by his well-filled plate. In despair his mother takes him to the doctor, who explains that she is really the problem. She realizes that she has been tense, impatient with Tommy from the start. Now it will take painstaking care to build a new atmosphere of cooperation and friendliness, to learn understanding of Tommy's personal requirements at mealtimes, and all the time.
