533 Statements
Tori Foster/Canada/2006/video/70min

Take the Canadian road movie to a whole new level with this across the country documentary about what it is like to be a woman, queer and Canadian. In the summer of 2004, Tori Foster, a Ryerson University fine arts student, packed her tent, skateboard and Panasonic camera in a second-hand car and set out on a journey across Canada in order to discover her community – Queer Canadian women.

In this exploration of queer female communities each woman is asked a series of questions on all things queer and not. Labels, stereotypes, hairstyles, gender mishaps, and community life are just some of the bases covered. Foster is also not above aiming the camera at herself, and invites you to join in some intimate moments where her true feelings about her journey come through.

Foster’s goal was to show the huge impact geography plays in shaping identity, both physically and psychologically. She connects interviews of individuals from each province with extensive driving scenes between these locations, illustrating how the vast size of the country both unites and separates us from one another.

Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Length Documentary award at Toronto’s Inside Out Film Festival, 533 Statements offers a unique portrait of Canada and Queer Identity. Beautifully shot and smartly edited, the film’s candid revelations reveal a desire for expression and community that’s both honest and moving.