Canadian Women Film Directors Database
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Quote:
"The day [Gudrun Parker] arrived to work at the Film Board, on March 1, 1942, she said that she didn't get to sit down until 10:00 p.m. As an editing assistant for Raymond Spottiswood, she noted that sixteen-hour days, at $25.00 per week, were not uncommon. Gudrun Parker related the amusing story of how she came to make her first films at the Board. While attending an NFB party she went up to [John] Grierson and told him, 'I would like to make some films.' His reply was, '... then go get some money and make them!' So in the next few days she visited the Health and Welfare Department of the federal government where she discussed the need for films which would educate the public on vitamins. The Health and Welfare official, whom she says she'll never forget because he served her hot tomato juice while they spoke, was enthusiastic about her idea and agreed to fund the films. Gudrun enlisted Judith Crawley to do the camerawork. Gudrun directed and edited, and soon she had the rough cuts of three short films on vitamins A, B and C, respectively. Two months after the NFB party she saw Grierson in the corridor. He had been out of town and asked her if she had given any more thought to making a film. Much to his amazement she told him that she had three films which were in fact almost complete and wanted him to see them."
-- Mary Teresa Nash


Source:
Nash, Mary Teresa. "Images of women in National Film Board of Canada Films During World War II and the Post-War Years (1939-1949)." PhD diss., McGill University, 1983. (pp. 195-196)