Cactus Swing

Twenty-five years ago Leilani Muir was informed she would never be able to conceive a child. Unbeknownst to her, at the age of fourteen, she had already been sexually sterilized, by an Act of the Alberta government. The film entwines her personal search for justice with the background story of eugenics, a respected "science" during the early decades of the twentieth century. In 1928, the Alberta government, supported by some of society's most prominent members, passed the Sterilization Act. By the time the Act was repealed in 1972, the lives of nearly 3,000 individuals were irreparably changed. Included in the wide net of people considered "unfit" to bear children were new immigrants, alcoholics, epileptics, unwed mothers, the poor and native people. The film opens as Leilani concludes years of emotional and legal preparation and steps into court to sue the Alberta government.

In this animated film the hero attempts to practise a piece of music on the piano. A series of distractions delays him and when he finally sits down to play, pandemonium breaks loose. A short film that will appeal to those of us who tend to procrastinate.

The Spirit Within looks at Native spirituality programs which have been set up in western Canadian federal penal institutions and in some provincial institutions. The programs which are led by Native elders and assisted by liaison officers, include workshops and ceremonies which help to put the Native prison inmate back in touch with himself, his culture and his spirituality. The film deals with the impact of the programs and in particular that of the sweat lodge. The Spirit Within also serves as an introduction to the kind of life faced by Native inmates. (Awards: Oklahoma City; Oakland; Minneapolis.)