Beverly Shaffer

When nine-year-old Nadia is allowed to attend a regular school, she knows the kids will tease her but she'll "find a way to deal with it." Nadia has spina bifida, a congenital condition that has caused a lack of sensation from the knees down. She uses crutches in order to walk. Nadia, in her own candid way, makes it clear that she is not looking for sympathy. She can do many things that children do, only she has a different way of doing them. Oscar® winner!

In a farmhouse on Cape Breton Island where Shawn Peter Dwyer, age 10, lives with his mother and nine brothers and sisters, children's pockets are usually empty and their lives well filled.

Young Chinese-Canadian Susan Yee gives a tour of Montreal.

Meet Tony Rossi, a 10-year-old boy who can only distinguish light from shadow. Despite this difficulty, he leads a very active life. The short documentary shows the ingenious ways in which Tony manages his life. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.

Sexually abused by her father from infancy to early adolescence, Shirley Turcotte is now in her thirties and has succeeded in building a rich and full life. To further reconcile her past and present, she is returning to the people and places of her childhood. Her mother, brothers and sister, all of whom were also caught up in the cycle of family violence, openly share their thoughts. Their frank disclosures will encourage survivors of incest to break through the silence and betrayal to recover and develop a sense of self-worth and dignity.

Depiction of Newfoundland's "old times" as seen by Julie O'Brien, an 11-year-old living in Tors Cove. Told in the first person with cutaway shots to the girl's many activities, the film illustrates the way traditions are maintained, remembered and evolved. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.

He's a hick; she's from the big city. He loves his car and loud music; she's possessed by the spirit of Martha Stewart. He wants to go fishing; she wants to bring her hair dryer. He likes to dance; she was born with spina bifida. Nadia DeFranco and Dennis Sweet find each other through the Internet, meet, and fall in love. As they prepare for their wedding, they negotiate that obstacle course of fantasy, pragmatism, tradition and frivolity that is the first proving ground of a couple's future compatability. Just a Wedding honours the profoundly serious nature of love and commitment with a light and playful touch. Nadia--who captivated audiences with her guts and good humour in the Academy award-winning I'll Find a Way--and Dennis, making his screen debut, deliver direct, engaging performances... as themselves. The stark contrasts of their realities create a story of contemporary marriage that is witty, moving--and true

Gurdeep is a thirteen-year-old Canadian Sikh whose family runs a dairy farm near Chilliwack, British Columbia. They have retained their language and religion. Attendance at the Sikh temple, playing soccer with his schoolmates, and working on the farm are all part of Gurdeep's well-integrated life, but sometimes he feels a little different from the other children because he wears a turban. This film is part of the Children of Canada series.