PHOTO STORIES

Six out of ten are Francophone. Everyone can speak at least two languages. Eight are from Quebec, and four participants’ families reside in Montreal. Only three participants identify themselves as people of color. In terms of economic resources, the majority of participants (80%) are financing their university education through family members’ contributions and personal income from part-time and summer jobs.

The in-depth interviews also show that most of these women (80%) first learned about film production in cinema or video classes at CEGEP or in high school. They were inspired to apply for film schools largely due to their early positive experiences with student filmmaking, which brought them fulfillment, friendship, awards, and even employment opportunities. At the MHSoC, these women sought out fun and spontaneity in university projects but had to grapple with new meanings and standards of ‘filmmaking.’