Ms. Conceptions (1995)
Ms. Conceptions (1995)
52 mins. - CBC, TLC, NFB - Telefilm, Good Soup Productions Inc.
MS. CONCEPTIONS (1995)
PRESENTLY IN THE GOOD SOUP LIBRARY
52 mins. • CBC, TLC, NFB • Telefilm, Good Soup Productions Inc.
CREDITS:
Written and Directed by RIC ESTHER BIENSTOCK
Producers RIC ESTHER BIENSTOCK & LINDA FRUM
Editor STEVE WESLAK
Director of Photography JOAN HUTTON CSC
Sound Recordist PETER SAWADE & JUSTINE PIMLOTT
Original Music Composed by JOHN WELSMAN
PRODUCED BY GOOD SOUP PRODUCTIONS INC. IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION & THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
PRODUCED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF TELEFILM CANADA & THE ONTARIO FILM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
“Without a doubt the most provocative shows on tonight is the cleverly named Ms. Conceptions…it is an engaging film…quick, smart and entertaining.”
What makes a vibrant, college educated, and single thirty-something woman decide to pack in the search for Mr. Right and pick up a $250 vial of sperm instead? Over the past decade, the birth-rate among this group of women has nearly tripled. They may have given up on relationships but are unwilling to sacrifice Motherhood. In their models of family, men are superfluous.
Lea is 32 and has chosen artificial insemination, even though it makes her feel "dirty" and leaves her wondering "who will really be the father of this child." Rebecca, 38, is tired of her "party girl" life, and scours personal ads for a suitable "live donor." And Anne, 39, who was "accidentally" impregnated by her ex-boyfriend, must cope with a wanted - but solitary - pregnancy.
MS. CONCEPTIONS also examines the burgeoning sperm industry; from artificial insemination trade shows, to custom ordered sperm ("the specimen is available in standard or pre-washed"), to the suppliers of raw materials - the anonymous donors who are helping to produce children they will never know.
"A riveting, often unsettling documentary." Toronto Star
"Excellent... Brings a light touch to a heavy topic, with the happy result that MS. CONCEPTIONS entertains as it informs." Montreal Gazette
AWARDS:
Gemini, Donald Brittain Award for Best Documentary, 1996
Gold Plaque, Chicago Film Festival, 1996
Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award, IDA, Los Angeles, 1995
Silver Apple, National Educational Media Network, 1996
FESTIVALS:
IDFA, AMSTERDAM;
CORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, IRELAND;
JERUSALEM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ISRAEL;
DENVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, USA;
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL, MADRID, SPAIN;
WOMAN’S INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, TORINO, ITALY; ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL, COLORADO SPRINGS, U.S.A.