Raging Grannies – Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints

The Grannies and the Cuban Hat

Four Montreal Grannies — The four Montreal grannies who helped shoot our pitch

Documentary film funding is not what it used to be. With broadcast windows few and far between and cutbacks everywhere, we doc-makers are turning to other sources, using other methods. And one of the new ways is web-based participatory, or crowd funding. This week I am participating in the Cuban Hat on-line pitch in the framework of the Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal.

GRANNY POWER, the project I am pitching (see the video pitch here on Vimeo) together with my colleagues, is a feature length English-language film on the Raging Grannies. This film has been in the works for eight years – and it might as well be crowd funded, because no English-language broadcaster will support it. Could it be that politicized elderly ladies are not the flavour of the month?

The Grannies form a very original protest movement, singing for social justice, peace and environment. They will celebrate their 25th anniversary next summer. The film portrays the movement, but also opens a window on the challenges of remaining active as a citizen as you grow older. Our main characters are between 65 and 80.

Checking out the projects and pitches presented at Cuban Hat is interesting, and the more people vote, the greater the chance that the best projects will become finalists and have a chance to win post production services. Hope you can find the time!

Tobi Elliott, who helps with this blog, is one of the producers of the Granny Film. It was her idea to pitch Granny Power to the Cuban Hat.

Projections et télédiffusions, Les Super-Mémés

« …un super film qui donne le goût de vieillir dans la délinquance! » Paul Houde (Montréal Maintenant, 98,5 FM)

Mon film LES SUPER-MÉMÉS, sur les Raging Grannies et les Mémés déchainées, a été lancé en tant de film de clôture du Festival de films sur les droits de la personne en mars 2010. Cet été, il y a plusieurs projections du film en plein air dans le cadre de Cinéma sous les étoiles, et la télédiffusion aura lieu la fin de semaine qui vient.

Cinéma sous les étoiles est une excellente initiative des Productions Funambule, la compagnie de mes jeunes collègues Santiago Bertolino et Steve Patry. Cet été, ils organisent une douzaine de projections dans des parcs dans différents quartiers à Montréal. Parmi les films montrés il y en a plusieurs dont j’ai déjà parlé sur ce blogue, sur Gérald Godin et Omar Khadr notamment.

Il y a quelques semaines, j’ai assisté à une projection des SUPER-MÉMÉS dans le Parc Laurier. Il y avait 80 personnes, et les Mémés étaient sur place pour chanter et discuter après le film.

Le film sera montré dans le cadre d’une autre soirée sous les étoiles, dans le Parc Aimé Léonard à Montréal-Nord le jeudi 1er Septembre à la brunante. J’y serai, ainsi que les Mémés.

Surtout, le film sera diffusé à Canal Vie le 28 Août à 19 heures. C’est en fait grâce à l’investissement de ce diffuseur que nous avons pu faire le film, produit par Les films de l’Isle et distribué par Vidéo-femmes.

Merci a Tobi Elliott pour son aide avec le blogue.

Super-Grannies – and two shorts

The normal progression for a budding filmmaker has generally been from student films and shorty shorts towards longer shorts, and then medium-length films and finally feature length ones. Working on the short films, he or she would learn the ropes, learn how to use equipment and tell a story. Later on, with more resources, would come a bigger crew and competent technicians or co-creators.

Not so in my case. When I started making audiovisual stories for television, I already had many years of storytelling behind me as a radio producer. And as a television ‘producer’ (meaning actually director) at CBC and Radio-Canada television, I didn’t have the right to touch the equipment. I remember the editors saying to me, “You can screen the cut again while I’m on my break, but close the door and don’t tell anyone.” It was a co-conspiracy by the bosses and the union.

Things have changed a lot since then! Now, in the digital world, many television journalists and directors do their own shooting and editing.

And for my part, I am looking after the beginnings I never had as a filmmaker. Over the last couple of years, I have made my first short films. And they will be screening at the Park Cinema in Montreal, before my film Super-Grannies (subtitled version of ‘Les Super-Mémés’) from Oct. 18th to 22nd.

Here is a brief description of the three films – with apologies for the PR language!

Letter to Béthièle. (8 min. 2010) In French with English sub-titles.

In a touching visual letter to his adoptive daughter Béthièle on her 10th birthday, Montreal filmmaker Magnus Isacsson reflects on her roots in Haiti and his own in Sweden, drawing some surprising conclusions.

Sonny Joe & the casino. (22 min. 2004)

Sonny Joe Cross collects used clothes from the residents of the Mohawk territory of Kahnawake. He sells some in his store and gives the rest to the homeless and poor in nearby Montreal. A former hard-drinking gambler, Sonny Joe leads a suspense-filled campaign against a casino promoted by the band council.

Les super-mémés. (45 min. 2010.)

Decked out in gaudy shawls and outrageous hats brimming with a cacophony of colours, «Raging Grannies» defy the invisibility so often experienced by older women. They are a colourful presence at most demonstrations and grassroots meetings promoting peace, social justice and environment.

On the surface, they are amusing, even hilarious. But underneath that humorous veneer, they are deadly serious. The film does more than portray of the movement and its members. It raises universal issues very seldom addressed by the current media, such as the role of senior citizens in our society. “With this documentary film, I wanted to accomplish myself what these exceptional women do so well: entertain while forcing us to reflection,” says the filmmaker.

Production: Island Filmworks

Distribution: Vidéo Femmes

Thanks to Tobi Elliott for her help with the blog.

Anaïs: turning the tables

Trio politique — Three children from Anaïs' film Se Souvenir des Cendres: Regard sur Incendies

French would be the logical language for this post, but I’d like to share this content with people outside Quebec.

This past week was Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette week. This extremely talented, 31-year-old Montreal director launched a novel, held a vernissage for a photo exhibition, and signed a terrific documentary broadcast on Radio-Canada Sunday night at 10.30.

The film, Se Souvenir des Cendres (“Remembering the Ashes”), is the ‘making of’ Denis Villeneuve‘s film Incendies, a fiction film based on Wajdi Moawad’s stage play of the same name. Produced by Micro-Scope for Radio-Canada, Se Souvenir follows the shooting of Villeneuve’s film in Jordan. Villeneuve and his crew worked with actual survivors of the conflicts as extras, from notably Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine, and these people become the mainstay of Anaïs’s making of film: they compare what they see on set to what they lived through in real life, and the effect is striking.

Also, Anaïs – who does her own camerawork – has a real eye for the children. There are many moving moments with children remembering war and expertly discussing arms, survival strategies, fears and hopes.

Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette — Anaïs - Photo Credit: André Turpin

Children are also at the heart of Anaïs’s first novel Je voudrais qu’on m’efface (“I Would Like to be Erased”), based on the lives of children in the Montreal East End Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood where she shot some of her previous films.

The launch took place at the Usine C performance space, simultaneous with the première of a photo exhibition by cinematographer André Turpin, featuring very creative pictures of children growing up in a context marked by poverty, absent parents and various forms of addiction. All proceeds from the sale of large prints of the photos go to Dr. Gilles Julien, who is internationally renowned for his work with children, mainly in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

Anaïs tells me that she used to see me as an inspiration. Well, the tables have been turned, now it’s the other way around. Chapeau Anaïs!

(Anaïs is the daughter of director Manon Barbeau and cinematographer Philippe Lavalette.)

NOTE: Se Souvenir des Cendres: Regard sur Incendies will be re-broadcast on ARTV Tuesday, Sept 21 at 4 pm, and again on Sunday at 2:30 pm and 7 pm. The film will also be presented at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in October.

Thanks to Tobi Elliott for her help with this blog.

Lancement Les super-Mémés

Louise-Édith Hébert et Marguerite Bilodeau. Photo Marie-Pierre Savard.

Au cours des dernières semaines, nous avons lancé mon film Les Super-mémés, sur le mouvement des Raging Grannies et des Mémés déchaînées. C’est un film produit par Isabelle Couture et Ian Boyd aux films de l’Isle, avec une license cruciale de Canal Vie, et distribué par Vidéo-Femmes. Le film a d’abord été le film de clôture du Festival des films sur les droits humains, et a ensuite été lancé au Musée de la civilisation à Québec. Après six ans de travail et beaucoup de difficultés de financement, j’étais très touché de voir la réception du film à la fois par les journalistes et par le public. Paul Houde de FM 98,5 disait: ‘un super film, qui donne envie de vieillir dans la délinquence.’ Et à Québec, une spectatrice m’a expliqué l’importance du message du film de façon tellement éloquente que je lui ai demandé de mettre ces commentaires par écrit. La parole est à Thérèse Voisard:

Thérèse Voisard

C’était la première fois que j’entendais parler de ce mouvement, qui allie l’humour à l’engagement social. Il s’agit, à mon avis, d’un mouvement qui gagne à être connu autant des personnes âgées que des plus jeunes.

….Ces dames peuvent s’autoriser un certain niveau de “délinquance” ou de désobéissance civile, qui ne serait pas toléré chez les jeunes. On n’utilisera pas de bâtons, de pistolets” taeser” ou autres contre des femmes de cet âge, au cours d’une manifestation”. alors que l’on hésitera pas à s’en servir contre des jeunes. De même on ne les jettera pas en prison et on ne les bousculera pas; ce que l’on hésitera pas à faire lorsqu’il s’agit de personnes plus jeunes. De plus, si elles peuvent déjouer et narguer la police, comme on l’a vu dans l’incroyable scène de canotage sur la Rivière des Outaouais, c’est grâce à leur sens de l’humour souvent beaucoup plus efficace que la violence. De même, leurs costumes très voyants leur assurent une visibilité à nulle autre pareille tandis que leurs chansons remplacent efficacement les cris de colères et les slogans agressifs. Leur âge leur assure aussi une crédibilité quant à la défense des valeurs nécessaires à la vie bonne. Elles en ont vu d’autres et savent d’expérience distinguer l’essentiel de l’illusoire sans que l’on puisse mettre leurs opinions sur le compte de l’inexpérience ou de la fougue irréfléchie de la jeunesse.

Ces impressionnantes “mémés” établissent sans contredit que ces avantages offerts par l’âge peuvent, comme le film le démontre si bien, être mis au service de la communauté.
Peut-être s’agit-il là du véritable rôle social des aînés.

Tous nos remerciements, pour ce magnifique film.

Thérèse Voisard

Launching French Granny film

Louise-Édith Hébert and Marguerite Bilodeau, photo Marie-Pierre Savard

Over the past two weeks, we launched my French-language film on the Raging Grannies and Mémés Déchaînées, Les super-mémés. It premiered on the 20th of March as closing film for the Human rights film festival in Montreal, at the Park Cinema, and we had another launch screening in Quebec City at the Musée de la Civilisation. The film was produced by Isabelle Couture at Films de l’Isle and is distributed by Vidéo-femmes, based in Quebec City. We were able to make the film thanks to the support of Canal Vie, and more precisely Line Richard, now at the French production branch at the NFB. For several years, Line was the only person in the television world who supported this project while it was turned down by numerous English-language broadcasters. It is very heartwarming, after all the difficulties we had finding the funding, to see that the film is very well received both by journalists and audiences. Radio Host Paul Houde at FM 98,5 said: ‘This is a super film which makes you feel like being more of a delinquent as you grow old.’

A Tribute to Muriel Duckworth

Muriel reading. Photo: Terre Nash

Sadly we just learned that our friend Muriel Duckworth, pioneering feminist and peace activist, passed away Saturday morning at the venerable age of 100. I say we, because many of my relatives and friends knew and admired Muriel, a tireless opponent of war and injustice in all forms. You can read a biography of Muriel below.

Muriel is also one of the main characters in the documentary I am making about the Raging Grannies, together with Muriel’s son Martin who is doing the camera work, Carole Roy, Minerva Gow, Étienne Gagnon and our producers at Island Film Works. The last time I saw Muriel was when we did our last shoot with her some five weeks ago, at the Magog hospital. She received a visit from another Raging Granny, Marguerite Bilodeau, who is a retired nurse in addition to being a singer and peace activist. In characteristic fashion, ever the good-humoured activist, Muriel repeated her mantra ‘War is stupid.’

Marguerite and Muriel – my photo

Last year, we filmed Muriel’s 100th birthday party in the Eastern Townships – only one of three parties. I don’t believe in documentary being purely observational, and I helped organize a contingent of Raging Grannies from several cities who sang a song about Muriel, written by Granny Barbara Seifred. The song was in two parts. It’s a worthy tribute to a remarkable woman.

[Tune: Sweet Betsy from Pike]

Imagine Muriel Duckworth 100 this year….!
An occasion for a rousing good cheer…
With a cake and bright candles and much love to share…
To show our dear Muriel how much we care.

Oh Muriel Duckworth is a dear friend of ours…
In th’ Peace activist firmament she’s recognized as a Star!
Living legend…national treasure….beyond measure…by far…
Muriel Duckworth is our brightest spark!

[Tune: Clementine A SONG FOR MURIEL]

Muriel Duckworth, dear Muriel Duckworth…
Raging Granny….Superfine!
Peace activist and living legend….
A gold standard for Womankind!
A humanitarian…sometimes contrarian….
A hell-raiser with the Raging Grans ….
She wouldn’t be part of the revolution
Unless….like Emma…..she could dance!

She’s a Living National Treasure….
An inspiration for our lifetime….
A Quaker…a Peace maker
And mischief-maker…by design!
A founding member of Voice of Women….
She’s by definition: a pacifist…..
And a pilgrim to Hiroshima….
True anti-nuclear activist….

Muriel has the Order of Canada….
An impressive list of…..honorary degrees…..
To that we’ll add our Happy Birthday….
And our song….in a heartbeat!

[Tune: Sweet Betsy]

To Muriel Duckworth…femme formidable!
We treasure you as a friend….vraiment inestimable…
So here’s our Happy Birthday…you know that it’s meant
With Good Health and Good Cheer….and much merriment

Muriel H. Duckworth (born October 31, 1908) is a Canadian pacifist, feminist and social and community activist. She is also a practising Quaker, a religious faith deeply committed to non-violence.

Duckworth was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Voice of Women, a provincial branch of the Voice of Women (VOW). She served as the National President of VOW, now called the Canadian Voice of Women for
Peace, from 1967 to 1971. She also helped establish the Canadian Council for International Cooperation, a coalition of about 100 Canadian organizations working for the elimination of poverty in Canada and around the world. Duckworth was among the first women in Nova Scotia to run for political office as a New Democratic Party candidate in Halifax during the provincial elections of 1974 and 1978. She was the 1991 recipient of the Pearson Medal of Peace for furthering the cause of international peace as well as the equality of women and men. She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1983.

Grannies protest CANSEC arms fair

Marching Grannies

All photos by Alan Auvaart (see below)

I just came back from filming the Raging Grannies in action at the protest against the CANSEC arms fair in Ottawa. It is the largest event of its kind in Canada, showcasing all the best new ways to inflict pain, cause death and create mayhem. It was held this year in Lansdowne Park inside the city limits. A protest action was organized by COAT – you can find all the information on Canada’s role in the arms trade on their web site. Arms bazaars were banned from Ottawa twenty years ago, but because of municipal fusions this measure has to be adopted again to be valid. Needless to say there is a citizen campaign underfoot to do just that.

On the roll Granny

The Raging Grannies from several cities and Mémés déchaînées from Montreal played a major role at this protest, setting up a Peace Garden and slowing traffic in and out of the exhibition, singing their songs and getting their message across. They sang, among other songs, WAR BUSINESS (you can guess to what tune…)

THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE WAR BUSINESS
THE BEST BUSINESS THEY KNOW!
NEVER MIND THE HOMELESS AND THE HUNGRY
NEVER MIND THE PEOPLE WITHOUT JOBS
WAR’S A STUPID WAY TO SPEND OUR MONEY
IT JUST AIN’T FUNNY! LET’S MAKE IT STOP!

And

Tune: Battle Hymn (Glory, Glory)

THE PROFITEERS ARE COMING HERE
AND THEY HAVE COME TO BUY
THE GADGETS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY
THAT BURN, EXPLODE AND FRY
AND ALL LAID OUT SO THEY CAN SEE
WHICH ONES THEY’D LIKE TO TRY
AT THE CANSEC TRADING SHOW.

For our shoot we had the help of some terrific Ottawa volunteers, including excellent photographer Alan Auvaart. It was his first encounter with the Grannies and he had this to say:’ The resilience of the Grannies to come out in such inclement weather to protest for what they believe in is truly amazing. I hope none of them catch colds!’ Here is his shot of the crew: myself, Martin Duckworth (on camera with assistant Kendall McQueen).

Part of the crew: Magnus Isacsson, Kendall McQueen, and Martin Duckworth

Thanks to Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.

Grannies rage against war toys

Mémés and Grannies sing in front of Eaton Center

Continuing to shoot our film abut the Raging Grannies and their French-speaking sisters, the Mémés Déchaïnées. Last week we joined Louise-Édith Hébert and Anna-Louise Fontaine as they picked up several other Mémés and brought them down to a rehearsal with the Raging Grannies. They then went over to the Eaton Center to sing, first outside and then inside, in front of a video games store. Their message: there are certain kinds of presents our kids don’t need ! Here is one of the songs they sang together:

Vive le vent – War toys

Couplet :
Pendant l’temps / pendant l’ temps /
Des grandes ventes d’hiver / /
Faudrait pas vendre / les jouets de guerre / /
Qui enragent les grand-mères / /Non / / /

Pour Noël / pour Noël /
Voici l’ vœu d’ ces grand-mères / /
Assez / assez / de violence //
Les jouets de guerre / à la poubelle / Ouiiiiiiiii !

(CHORUS)
When we go to shop / To buy a gift or two /
Let’s think of books and paints / and fun things kids can do / /
With skates / a bike / a ball / Our message will be clear /
Peace on Earth / goodwill to all /
Today and through the year / / / Oh !

Jingle bells / Jingle bells /
Jingle of dismay
It’s no fun to shop today /
With war toys on display / / /

With the Raging Grannies at Bread and Puppets

Myself and Martin Duckworth filming the Grannies in Vermont.

I am still working on my film about the Raging Grannies, the movement of elderly women fighting for peace, social justice and the environment with satirical songs and the occasional guerrilla action. I have decided to edit some of the Grannies’ songs as music videos, and so I am gathering some special footage in addition to the usual documentary material. The idea is, in my mind, to obtain striking visuals and special effects without having to spend much money. As part of this effort I recently went to the Bread and Puppets Theatre in Vermont with Louise-Édith Hébert, a francophone ‘Mémé déchaînée’ who is an important person in my film. Two other members of our team, Carole Roy and Terre Nash came along for the weekend, along with my wife Jocelyne who has vivid memories from visits to the Bread and Puppets theatre when she was young.

Indeed, Bread and Puppets has been going for several decades now, performing with giant puppets in a natural setting. I thought the images of the theatre could be a way to evoke street theatre as one of the original inspirations for the Raging Grannies, founded in Victoria, B.C., 21 years ago. And thanks to DOP Martin Duckworth, we did get some spectacular images of the Grannies and the puppets. Also, we filmed Louise-Édith making her own puppet and bringing it to the show. In addition, eleven Vermont Grannies responded to our appeal and showed up to sing some songs. A good time was had by all, and a few more tapes were added to my pile. This film is severely under-financed, and it is just the kind of film that will become harder to make with the conservative government’s cutbacks. In fact, if my friends and colleagues didn’t support it, I wouldn’t be able to make it at all.

Louise-Édith Hébert with the puppet she made. Bread and Puppets actors and staff are meeting in the background.

Thanks to Jorge Bustos-Estefan for help with this blog.