Founded in 1973 by Hélène Roy, Nicole Giguère and Helen Doyle, Vidéo Femmes is one of Quebec’s first production and distribution centres of feminist video works. Until its merger in 2015 with distributor Spira, the collective had established itself as a cornerstone of Quebec’s feminist art scene, including in the distribution sector, thanks to its international festival, Des filles des vues. Having produced over 400 works, most of which explored the status of women, the Vidéo Femmes’ directors have left a rich and multi-layered legacy for us to rediscover.

As part of the RIDM, we wish to showcase some of this collective's rich catalogue to explore the artistic issues of Quebec society in the 1970s and 1980s. Through our selection of works dealing with social and feminist issues that remain relevant today, we wish to weigh the present against an artistic heritage often left out of dominant historical narratives. Covering the collective’s first 15 years, the films will be contextualized and supplemented with in-depth discussions that connect them to other, current works.

In this program :

Vidéo Femmes par Vidéo Femmes - Sunday November 20th 5:30 PM - Cinémathèque québécoise - Salle Fernand-Seguin
Looking back at over 10 years of production, screening, and distribution of feminist video works, this film explores the beginnings of a collective destined for great things using humour and levity.

The screening will be accompanied by the short film C'est une bonne journée and a discussion with the filmmakers Johanne Fournier, Nicole Giguère & Lynda Roy
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Une nef... et ses sorcières - Monday November 21st 17h30 - Cinémathèque québécoise - Salle Fernand-Seguin
In 1976, a group of 13 female writers and actors worked on staging the feminist play La nef des sorcières. A significant work of memory, this film is a testament to the process of creating a play that is still powerful.

The screening will be accompanied by a discussion with the filmmakers Helen Doyle, Nathalie Roy & Nicole Brossard
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Le SIDA au féminin - Tuesday November 22nd 17h30 - Cinémathèque québécoise - Salle Fernand-Seguin
Giving centre stage to their words, this film focuses on three women living with HIV who talk about how the disease impacts their daily lives and emotions.

The screening will be accompanied by a discussion with the filmmakers Lise Bonenfant & Marie Fortin
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On fait toutes du show-business - Wednesday November 23rd 17h30 - Cinémathèque québécoise - Salle Fernand-Seguin
An excursion into the world of female musicians in Quebec through interviews and concert excerpts, On fait toutes du show-business brings together a series of rare and vivid portraits of major names in the 1980s French-language music and rock’n’roll scene.

The screening will be accompanied by the short film Histoire infâme and the videoclip Mona Lise by Calamine, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers Nicole Giguère, Audrey Nantel-Gagnon et la rappeuse Julie Gagnon (Calamine)
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Chaperons rouges - Thursday November 24th 17h30 - Cinémathèque québécoise - Salle Fernand-Seguin
Chaperons rouges is one of the first Quebec documentaries to address sexual violence directly. Coproduced by Vidéo Femmes and the Groupe Intervention Vidéo, this bold, incisive documentary, in hybrid form, heralded the beginnings of a flourishing revolution.

The screening will be accompanied by the short film La bouilloire and a discussion with the filmmakers Helen Doyle & Heloïse Bargain