Synopsis
A documentary about women at home and at work. Several women (and a few men) explain the greatness and misery of unpaid domestic tasks. This film, which does not offer any solutions, captures a certain picture of the situation in Quebec in the 1970s, making a clear observation: women, even if they work outside home, remain trapped in their traditional role as housewives. It is the story of generations of women who have managed to cope with brute force and boredom.
A word from Tënk
Known for her colourful personality and remarkable acting talent, Luce Guilbeault is a central figure in Quebec’s theatre, television and film worlds. While plenty of ink has been spilled over her acting work over the years, little explicit mention has been made of her involvement in the growth of the Montréal counter-culture feminist arts scene. And yet… it is partly due to her great creativity and insatiable curiosity that we can now appreciate the revolutionary theatre work La Nef et ses sorcières, rediscover the work of great American feminist thinkers (Some American Feminists) or demystify the profession of female actors and denounce the widespread culture of the male gaze on set (Denyse Benoît, comédienne, 1975).
Her video work, while fleeting, included this priceless documentary, D’abord ménagères, which captured women’s invisible labour: a topic that is still widely discussed today.
Julia Minne
PhD student and programmer
