Re: looking for reviews of Goddess Remembered, Full Circle, Burning Time

SDavies@mtroyal.ab.ca
Wed, 8 May 2002 11:45:36 -0700 (PDT)

Our academic library has the National Film Board trilogy _Women in
spirituality_: _Goddess remembered_ (1989), _The burning times_ (1990),
and _Full circle_ (1993). We get a lot of circulation from _Burning times_
and, altho all three are beautifully produced, it is the most grounded in
historical fact.
_Goddess remembered_ looks at pre-history and makes its arguments
unconvincingly tho its great for the converted. _Burning times_ claims
that medieaval witch-hunting ended the celebration of feminine worship, and
that we haven't recovered from the effects of this persecution yet. _Full
circle_ looks at modern women's spirituality.
We had a case of vandalism in the mid-90's involving _Goddess
remembered_ because of its pro-feminist stance, and we kept the trilogy
behind the counter for a while. It seems incredible now.

The series was produced by Studio D, a chapter of the NFB mandated to
express feminist points of view, which ran for at least 25 years producing
_Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography_, _I'll Find a Way_, _To a
Safer Place_, _Behind the Veil: Nuns_, and _If You Love This Planet_, all
of which have a very direct approach to their subject matter.

If your patron is looking for feminist videos, I would recommend for
a public library to get _My feminism_ (1997) which is a beautiful and clear
exposition of pre-feminism. There's lots and lots of talking heads who
don't get a chance to outstay their welcome, and there are pretty intervals
like a sorbet. It's from Cardona Colbert Films, Toronto, Ontario.

Stephen Davies
Mount Royal College, Calgary
mailto:SDavies@mtroyal.ca