Beverly Shaffer: Smashing Stereotypes, One Film at a Time
Beverly Shaffer: Smashing Stereotypes, One Film at a Time
Montreal-based director Beverly Shaffer is one of Canada’s most talented filmmakers. She’s best known for her Academy Award-winning film, I’ll Find a Way (1977), about a nine-year-old girl with spina bifida who dreams of going to a regular school.
The NFB has just uploaded the sequel to this groundbreaking documentary, Just a Wedding (1999), but I want to start this post with some well-deserved praise for I’ll Find a Way—the first Oscar-winning NFB film directed by a woman.
I’ll Find a Way, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
I love everything about I’ll Find a Way—the storytelling, the playful meta-cinematic touches and the fact that it came out of Studio D. But what really hits is how the film quietly smashes so many stereotypes about people with disabilities that I didn’t even realize I had in my head. That might actually be one of the defining features of Beverly Shaffer’s work: she’s brilliant at dismantling stereotypes and making you rethink what you thought you knew. For instance, I Want to Be an Engineer (1983), another Shaffer film that was recently added to NFB.ca, introduces us to three women engineers—part of a growing wave of women stepping into so-called “non-traditional” careers. It’s lively, inspiring and a great reminder that breaking barriers (and dispelling outdated expectations) can be pretty powerful.
I Want to Be an Engineer, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
A retrospective look at Shaffer’s work makes one thing clear: women are at the centre of her films. Time and again, she chooses female protagonists and gives them the space to tell powerful, complex stories. Take her award-winning doc To a Safer Place (1987), which follows Shirley Turcotte, a 30-year-old woman who has managed to build a rich, meaningful life despite her traumatic childhood; or To My Birthmother… (2002), a moving video diary in which Marie Klaassen travels across places and memories in search of the woman who gave her life.
To my birthmother…, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Then there’s Shaffer’s short-film The Way It Is (1982), which focuses on Helen Murray, a 12-year-old girl navigating life after her parents’ divorce. With its meta-cinematic moments in which the director and crew appear on camera, breaking the fourth wall, it offers viewers something deeper and headier than simple entertainment. In each of these films, Shaffer follows the same approach: telling real stories by real women while offering perspectives that challenge what we think we know.
The Way It Is, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
During her 33 years at the NFB (1975–2008), Shaffer racked up more than 35 international awards—basically a trophy shelf that spans the globe. Her last NFB film, Mr. Mergler’s Gift (2004), tells the story of Xin Ben, a nine-year-old piano prodigy who studies with Daniel Mergler, a beloved teacher nearing the end of his career. The film was even shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2005, a prestigious nod that brought Shaffer’s career back full circle, in a sense, to her earlier Oscar honour for I’ll Find a Way, capping an incredible run of filmmaking that has inspired audiences around the world.
Mr. Mergler’s Gift, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Why This Matters for You
It’s all about Canadian culture! The NFB just added Beverly Shaffer’s Just a Wedding (1999) to NFB.ca, featuring Nadia—the same gutsy, hilarious star from I’ll Find a Way. This film celebrates the serious business of love and commitment… but with a light, playful touch. If there were a follow-up Oscar for “most charming wedding vibes,” this one would have taken it home!
Just a Wedding, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
Got a favourite Shaffer film? DM us your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. Boom—you’re supporting local art without even leaving your couch.
Interested in more? Check out Beverly Shaffer’s film page on NFB.ca to explore her entire body of work; or dive into a channel devoted to the NFB’s Studio D, the groundbreaking space that was run by women, producing stories that were told by women, where Shaffer played a key role.
