Doctor woman: life and times of Elizabeth Bagshaw

A forerunner of the women’s movement, Elizabeth Bagshaw was one of the first women to practice medicine in Canada. In having to overcome society’s bias against women in medicine she helped to instigate changes in public opinion on that issue as well as the issue of birth control. The film captures the personality of this remarkable woman through a contemporary interview and re-enactments of episodes from her youth. The sepia tones of the re-enactments are in keeping with the film techniques of the time, giving the viewer a strong sense of the period. The film is of special interest to people interested in the evolution of woman’s roles in Canadian society. (Awards: Toronto; Columbus)