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"Just got home. I was just absolutely, completely taken with
the film! It was fantastic! Totally immersed in the story, but marveling
at the whole production. It was incredible, just incredible. Congratulations,
well done! I just had to tell you."
Michelle Hrkac
Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
Heritage Playhouse
Click here for more audience Reviews
WHAT THE PRESS IS SAYING ABOUT SINGING THE BONES
"Powerful new film. . . . complex,
emotional and artistically challenging. . . A tour de force for
Hicks."
John Griffin --The Montreal Gazette
"The artist's eye is omnipresent it's
a poem, it's a painting . . . it's beautiful."
Jeannette Kelly -- CBC Arts Report
"Treat this film like a poem, the visual effects
are superb. There are also luminous moments that do not rely on
scenery; they spring from adept prose and vital characters."
Jan de Grass - The Coast Reporter, British Columbia
"The film weaves childhood trauma, the scars
of war and the mystery
of birth into a rich tapestry of transformation and redemption."
- Ojai Film Festival
"The mystery, beauty and political turmoil
surrounding what should be nature's simplest gift, childbirth,
are explored in this kaleidoscope of storytelling. Singing the
Bones brings Canadian writer-performer Caitlin Hicks' acclaimed
one-woman
stage play beautifully to film, with Hicks reprising her triple-threat
performance. As Meg, a spirited midwife practicing illegally in
rural Canada, she illuminates reasons why women "do not need
to be saved from childbirth." As Nicole, a feisty young mother
pregnant with twins, she howls out the sociological horrors and
hilarity of the childbirth experience. As Sara, an aging obstetrician,
she embodies tragedy transformed into pure survival. In a deeply
layered and visually arresting production by Gordon Halloran, employing
his camera as almost another character in the drama, the interlocking
tales of the three women become a single narrative that is not
just woman's story, but an unforgettable window into the human
experience."
D. Quinones, Mill Valley Film Festival
WHAT FILM PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING ABOUT SINGING
THE BONES. . .
"Wonderful! Superb acting!. . . It's very good!"
Angela Pressburger, Film selection committee,
Vancouver Film Festival
"What a great film! Fascinating theme . . .
brilliant acting and directing!"
Don Thompson, New York Film Director, CLOUDS
"The work is tremendous, the images are quite
evocative, beautifully
rendered and of course the content and ... performances are very
poignant."
Robert Daviau, Director, Theatre, Film & Television
Dorion, Quebec
WHAT BIRTH PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING ABOUT SINGING
THE BONES . . .
"BRAVO!! This is a MUST-see."
Nancy Wainer, Certified Professional Midwife
International childbirth writer and speaker who coined
the term VBAC -
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Her landmark book, SILENT KNIFE:
Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth After Cesarean was called:
'The bible of cesarean prevention'(Wall Street Journal).
"Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed
the film I saw at Poole on the 14th November. It was really powerful,
and different. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the midwife
and the doctor were both explored as deeply as the women herself,
we bring our personalities and experiences with us into everything,
which does influence how we are, and how we practice. I have never
met a real actress before, and I have real admiration for how much
you can submerge yourself into a role - great performance."
- Jenny Mallison, Midwife lecturer/practitioner,
Bournemouth Maternity
"Caitlin Hicks has brought the subject of childbirth
out of the
dark ages into the light."
Gail J. Dahl, Researcher, Media Advisor, Speaker
Nominated 2000 YWCA Woman of Distinction
"Beautifully filmed. It made me sad because
we are still so far away from accepting/ understanding/exploring
these powerful, spiritual aspects of birth and women's birth choices."
Sarah Davies, Midwifery Professor
Salford University, Manchester, England
November 26, 2002
"I liked the view that birth is never just
about birth, that everyone involved in a birth comes bursting with
their own story, and that these histories can have a profound effect
on what happens. I liked the way the doctor and the midwife spoke
with each other...hearing them battle it out with such kindness
and respect and patience reminded me that it is possible to communicate
across disciplinary boundaries, to find some recognition between
paradigms, to listen and to be heard.
"I liked the theme of 'protecting' that seemed
to run through all three women's stories. The mother who surrendered
her first; baby and exposed her second to the risks and alienation
of hospital birth - who was going to protect her twins in the current
pregnancy come what may. The midwife who was so completely unprotected
as a child, who now protects women ('If I don't stay with her who
will?')...maybe she didn't really 'get' why she became a midwife
until this birth. And the doctor, who makes dolls and manages births,
who discovered that the real horror was not that she had survived,
but that there had been no one there to protect her mother (least
of all her). With this understanding, more like an epiphany, she
knows that she needs to be and wants to be at the birth...more,
that she can make a contribution.
"There's the other theme of protecting birth
itself, the physiology and rhythms of labour (I loved the panting
music) . I liked the fact that the film did not focus on this directly
(as many books and narratives do), but came at it through the womens'
stories.I know there's many more things to say about the film -
but these were the things that came up again and again as I talked
with friends. I was really pleased to have seen the film. Best wishes
in your work."
-Jane Grant, UK midwife/ London screening at Trafalgar Square
November 7, 2002
WHAT AUDIENCES ARE SAYING ABOUT SINGING THE BONES
. . .
"WOW! What an awesome film! I'm still thinking
about it this morning. It touched me and brought up a lot of thoughts
and feelings. Now I feel like sitting around and talking about it
for a few hours. Amazing film, I loved it!"
- Hana Rose
Gibsons, British Columbia, October 16 &
17 Heritage Playhouse
"If any of you were lucky enough to see the
live play, a one-woman show by Caitlin Hicks, you will know that
you need to clear your calendar for the 7th of November to see this
film. If not, please take it from me: GO!! You won't regret it.Take
a midwife friend or two or three and SEE THIS FILM."
Rachel Myr, Kristiansand, Norway
WHAT AUDIENCES
IN BANGOR, BELFAST &
BAR HARBOR, MAINE ARE SAYING
ABOUT SINGING THE BONES
“Intense, emotional & courageously truthtelling.
We need more in this culture.”
“Amazing”
“Very well done.”
“So intense, stirring me deeply.
It’s great to know these emotions are being
expressed on this topic.
Many, many issues were hit upon.. . which are rarely talked about.
Very powerful and inspiring.”
“Wow! At first it seemed quite strange and
silly - but turned out to be
so powerful.
Connecting life, death, birth -- the natural process.
Amazing.”
WHAT AUDIENCES IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
ARE SAYING ABOUT SINGING THE BONES
"Wow! I thought the film was amazing, your
acting awesome and the dialogue and visuals so poignant and beautiful
- congratulations! I did not know the film would cover all those
issues, confronting, disturbing and exhausting! Loved the end"
-Shea Caplice,May 5th 2002, Sydney, Australia
"Fantastic, very moving and made you realise
that birth shown in that way is so beautiful and so powerful.
As a woman who has not been through a pregnancy and birth it also
made me know that if I ever choose to have a baby, I will be able
to do it well. My mother loved it too, and was so inspired that
she is trying to get her medical records from when she had me
to reflect on her own experience many years ago. She said it was
very different back then!"
- Tanya Farrell
"The acting was superb! I was entranced with
the actress's ability to play so many roles. The movie reinforced
my belief that midwives evolve to a point where they can meet
the needs of birthing women only after many life experiences .
. . loved it!
- Audience member
"...many issues . . . but otherwise fantastic
and portrayed the dilemmas for women and midwives very well."
- Pat Brodie
"the end, I found, uplifting. . . camera
work was great
and the music was good."
- Moira
"It was a great day and your video was inspiring
and brought a few tears to my eyes. Singing the bones for me was
something different - having difficulty trying to find the words
to describe it - incredible!"
- Lyndall
WHAT AUDIENCES IN ENGLAND
ARE SAYING ABOUT Singing the Bones
Celebrating 100 years of licensed midwifery in the U.K.
"Really loved the film! Incredibly moving,
gave me a lot of food for thought as a student midwife. I'm really
pleased to have given others the opportunity to see it."
- Shyamalii, Redhill/Surrey, December 16th, 2002
"A brilliant and inspiring film, highly recommended!
I urge anyone to go if they can. I have to admit it wasn't what
I was expecting - although not entirely sure what I was expecting,
but I have been buzzing all today. Inspiring, thought provoking
....**go** !!"
- Jane X, Redhill, Surrey, November 16th, 2002
"I wanted to say again how much I enjoyed
your film 'Singing the Bones'. I
came away from the evening with my head so full! . . . Such a moving
film.
Many thanks again for making such a powerful and inspiring film,
I hope you
manage to distribute and show it to as many people as possible."
- Jane Wines, Redhill, Surrey
"I loved it -although it is challenging (without
giving too much away!) and
some of my peers ... did not feel the same way. This is not an indictment
of
the film. I recommend this film to anyone - it was awe inspiring,
thought
provoking, and harrowing all in one."
- Nicki, Poole Arts Centre, Dorset, UK, November 8 - 14th
"Just wanted to say thank you for putting on
the showing of the film last
night. I found it absolutely enthralling and would love to see it
again! Do
you know if any showings are planned in Edinburgh because I know
that my
sister who lives there would love it too? Please let me know."
- Janet
"Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed
the film I saw at Poole on the 14th November. It was really powerful,
and different. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the fact that
the midwife and the doctor were both explored as deeply as the women
herself, we bring our personalities and experiences with us into
everything, which does influence how we are, and how we practice.
I have never met a real actress before, and I have real admiration
for how much you can submerge yourself into a role - great performance."
- Jenny Mallison
"I took my 17-year old daughter. . . I have
been haunted all day . . . it was so rich in texture and deep in
resonance that I'm sure I will have to see it again and again. .
. . Thank you so much for sharing this quintessential subject -
what wonderfully artistic interpretative gifts you have been given
- bless you."
- Jane Skellett, Dorset, England
Poole Arts Centre, November 8 - 14th 2002
"The direction and acting was excellent and
the film was very different from
anything I have seen. Thank you!"
- Joan Jobin, Screening at Canada House, Trafalgar Square
WHAT AUDIENCES IN CHICHESTER, ENGLAND
ARE SAYING ABOUT Singing The Bones
"I liked the way the 'professionals' lives
(were) explored and validated".
-Lynn Walcott
"The film was not at all what I expected,
but then I'm not sure what I expected! Very powerful imagery, it
has given me a lot to think about and to talk about with other students."
- Karen Jackson
"Very powerful. Having seen it once before,
it was even better this second time. It is an important film which
I feel should be more available to all midwives, student midwives
and women."
- Karen Beckett
"I'll have to spend some time thinking about this."
-Denise McCormack
"Powerful film. Moving and thought provoking."
- Vanessa
"Once I realised there was a 'story' in the
film . . . it held my attention. It was a very moving piece which
should be required viewing for doctors, midwives, and all who are
involved in the care of women and their babies. It helped me to
know what I already knew about the role of the midwife."
- Joy Fower
Click here to read reviews
of Singing The Bones, the play
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