“It’s About US” DVD/Zine

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This DVD and zine project showcases a series of short documentaries and writings produced by girls who were members of antidote’s We’re Just Sayin’ (formerly Gurlz Club). Funded by the Canadian Council on Learning, this Antidote project involved a group of racialized minority and Indigenous girls (9-18 years old) producing documentary shorts regarding health, identity, and social ex/inclusion through an intensive multi-media project. The goal was to raise public awareness of the impact of racism, sexism and social exclusion on girls’ physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.

Working in partnership with a local Victoria independent film organization called MediaNet, the girls worked closely with film-maker Grace Salez, who taught them skills in storyboarding, film production, and editing. The girls produced a DVD containing nine short films discussing a wide range of topics such as HIV/AIDS, racism, immigration, xenophobia, girlhood, body image, and solidarity. The films and accompanying zine provide insights into how racialized minority and Indigenous girls and young women understand and represent the role of age, gender, race, class, nationality, religion, citizenship, and sexuality, among other factors, in shaping their identities and their understandings of health. The package offers a tool for education, advocacy, and community development for racialized girls and young women, as well as for educators, service providers, and policy makers.