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Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives

This feature documentary delves into the rich history of Canadian queer women’s experiences in the mid-20th century. Compelling, often hilarious and always rebellious, the women interviewed in this film recount stories about their search for the places where openly gay women gathered in urban centres. Contemporary interviews, archival footage, and a stylized fictional narrative based on the pulp novels of the 1950s are woven throughout this simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and empowering film. Forbidden Love brings an important and empowering history of lesbian sexuality in Canada out of the closet.
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This feature documentary delves into the rich history of Canadian queer women’s experiences in the mid-20th century. Compelling, often hilarious and always rebellious, the women interviewed in this film recount stories about their search for the places where openly gay women gathered in urban centres. Contemporary interviews, archival footage, and a stylized fictional narrative based on the pulp novels of the 1950s are woven throughout this simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and empowering film. Forbidden Love brings an important and empowering history of lesbian sexuality in Canada out of the closet.

 This work contains scenes of nudity and/or sexuality. Viewer discretion is advised.
Sexuality and Reproduction Women All subjects
Films for Pride All channels
  • director
    Aerlyn Weissman
    Lynne Fernie
  • script
    Aerlyn Weissman
    Lynne Fernie
  • producer
    Margaret Pettigrew
    Ginny Stikeman
  • executive producer
    Ginny Stikeman
    Rina Fraticelli
  • photography
    Zoe Dirse
  • animation camera
    Lynda Pelley
    Pierre Landry
  • sound
    Justine Pimlott
  • editing
    Cathy Gulkin
    Denise Beaudoin
  • sound editing
    Jackie Newell
    Chris Crilly
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
  • music
    Kathryn Moses
  • cast
    Stephanie Morgenstern
    Lynne Adams
    Marie-Jo Thério
    George Thomas
    Lory Wainberg
    Ann-Marie MacDonald
    Michael Copeland
    Keely Moll
    Ann Bannon
    Stephanie Ozard
    Reva Hutkin
    Lois M. Stuart
    Nairobi
    Jeanne Healy
    Carol Ritchie-MacKintosh
    Amanda White
    Ruth Christine

Education

Ages 18+

Notes

How have laws against LGBTQ people changed over the decades in Canada? How did urban centres provide a place to go for many LGBTQ women who came from small rural areas of the country? Interspersed between stories in the film are pulp novels about lesbians: How does pop culture play a role in identity for people who feel marginalized today?

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Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives
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