On Demand

Lesbiana: A Parallel Revolution

by Myriam Fougère

Chronicles the lesbian activists in Canada and the United States who created women-only communities starting in the 1970s. Includes archival footage, interviews, and photographs.

2012 · 1h3m · Canada

English, French

English, French subs

About the Film

A parallel, lesbian-feminist revolution was born out of the women’s and civil rights movements of the 60’s and 70’s. Filmmaker Myriam Fougère’s takes us on a road trip through the United States and Canada as she revisits the activists of the time who sparked this revolution to define their own culture. As active second-wave feminists, many lesbian women began to recognize that their sexual identity was not acknowledged or embraced by the traditional women’s movement. These artists, musicians, philosophers, and writers sought to establish communities centered exclusively on women where patriarchy simply did not exist. Women-only communities began to flourish in North America and around the world, resulting in a rich and vibrant culture that inspired important lesbian art, literature, and music. Told through photographs, archival footage, and contemporary interviews, Fougère’s film serves not only as a testament to the politics of the era, but also as a living yearbook and virtual reunion of these remarkable women, who laid the groundwork for generations to come.

Upcoming Screenings

Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!

Festivals and Awards

2013

Amsterdam Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize, Winner of the Van Gogh Award

Side by Side Film Festival Moscow, Winner, Audience Award

Inside Out, Toronto Film Festival, Special Jury Citation

Director

Myriam Fougère

Writer

Myriam Fougère

Producer

Myriam Fougère, Pauline Voisard

Cinematographer

Myriam Fougère

Editor

Myriam Fougère

Production

Women Make Movies

About the Director

Myriam Fougère

Myriam Fougère is a multidisciplinary artist born in Quebec City, Canada. Prior to becoming a filmmaker, Myriam worked as a sculptor and photographer, showing her work in women-only spaces for more than two decades. Her first film was a poetic, innovative documentary about breast cancer entitled On A Moving Path, which Myriam wrote shot and directed.

Lesbiana- A Parallel Revolution, came out in 2012. Fougère shot, directed and edited this historical documentary about the rise and fall of the lesbian movement in Quebec and United States in the 1980’s. Using many personal archives, Lesbiana is a intimate and inspiring film which screened at more than 60 international film festivals including Montreal, Paris, London, Seoul, Moscow, Belgrade, Barcelona and San Francisco

Informed and inspired by these experiences, Myriam has once again directed, filmed and edited a third documentary film. In her latest project Feminista, 2017, Myriam turned her creative lens to the newest generation of feminist activists, documenting how feminism and lesbianism are alive and thriving today, focusing this time on women from different countries in Europe.