Let The (Canadian) Divas Make Films!
I had the pleasure of attending a sold-tf-out advance screening of Young Female Playwright at the Paradise Theatre. YFP is a 2025 film directed by Pony Nicole Herauf and led by a performance from writer Ellie Moon.
Young Female Playwright (2026) - Dir: Pony Nicole Herauf
That same day, very early in the morning I had decided to watch Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz because I thought I needed a good cry. An incredible day of incredible art made by incredible Canadian women. This isn’t a review of the film fyi because I don’t have the literacy for that, it is really amazing and you should just go watch it yourself. Something I’ve heard a lot is that it has been a big year for Canadian film and TV. It seems we are hearing about more Canadian productions in the mainstream; Heated Rivalry, Welcome to Derry, Blue Heron, Mile End Kicks, North of North and Office Movers. As more Canadian-made stories are greenlit, I ask myself what is it that I want to see? On June 1st 2026, my day of awesome Canadian film watching showed me that I want to see honest folks’ glorious beautiful mundane freak ass lives.
One of my favourite films of all time, Dogfight is written by Canadian, Bob Comfort, and directed by American, Nancy Savoca. The description on the poster of the film, shown below, is the best way to describe it:
.
“The rules of the dogfight were simple.
Everyone puts in fifty bucks.
The guy with the ugliest ‘date’ wins.
A love story.”
The film is based on Comfort’s own experience as a Vietnam war marine, with Eddie (River Phoenix) playing the male love interest. It’s horribly cruel right? You’d think it’d be hard to make such a love story without humiliating the female love interest, Rose (Lili Taylor). Well, I think it is one of the most honest movies about love I have ever seen. As women, we are simply subjected to an intrinsic objectification due to our gender. So, we have likely loved people who have (at some point or another) objectified us in some way. Savoca’s direction brings this nuanced portrayal of love; one where cruelty is present but is as a result of a larger problem. One where love teaches us to start seeing each other's beauty instead of objectifying one another. Through her eyes, the audience always sees Rose as beautiful and autonomous. Instead, Eddie is foolish, weak and dishonest for not seeing her beauty. He is worse off for it, with or without her. I do not believe this specific quality could have been achieved with a male director. Call me crazy!
In a similar vein, Young Female Playwright and Take This Waltz are directed and written through the eyes of those who, I feel, have a very nuanced understanding of people and the world. The complexities, oddities and messiness of being a person, namely one who is subjected to prejudice. The absurdity and humour in being subjected to such causeless provocations. They see such things honestly and holistically, and make beauty from it through art. I find that I sometimes feel the need to show that I am good, much better than others like me–to rid myself of such indignities. To make art that is liked by others, for others, to show that I am worthy.
I find films about exactly that; a character who becomes much better to overcome their challenges. Much more liked, or kinder, much smarter, much richer etc. She never deserved what she got, and you know that because look how good she is. What a futile and exhausting pursuit to prove your value, your worth. To me, these films realize this futility. Their characters are not trying to be or prove to us that they are good–but instead show that they are honest; about their desires, their shortcomings, their beauty and their ugliness. We see them for what they are and not what they are subjected to. They are honest and glorious and beautiful and mundane!
Herauf says in her own words:
“Existing as a woman is inherently funny. It’s also exciting, humiliating, terrifying and (more often than not) incredibly boring.
When approaching a new project, the most important question I ask myself is ‘what is exceptional about this day?’
I believe that all good storytelling stems from this. If 364 days of my womanhood live in precarious monotony, you better believe that the one exceptional day is going to be the one I’m making movies about”
If you search Canadian Female Directors on google, their AI overview (ew, PU) will present to you a list of ‘notable directors’.
If you search Canadian Male Directors on google, their AI overview (ew, PU) will present to you a list of directors, under the following categories:
Blockbuster and Sci-Fi Visionaries
Auteurs and Independent Icons
Hollywood and Comedy Directors
National and International Treasures (huh)
You guys… woah…. It feels like maybe women are a little undervalued and underrepresented in film, no? Maybe it’s just me…. I’ll be the first to say it I guess (and not to beat a dead horse), but we are actively limiting ourselves from seeing more complex, interesting stories when we limit how and by whom they are told. When we overvalue some stories and undervalue others. When we put the onus of proving value on others, rather than on ourselves to be able to see it. We are repressing the honest truth about ourselves and limiting our capacity to understand. And gosh, beyond that, we aren’t going to get the enjoyment of good fucking film. Honest good film! I am so excited to see what Herauf and Moon do next, and I am so grateful to bear witness to homegrown greatness–to the stories, trials and tribulations of real ass Canadians.