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Shereen Jerrett's 'ruff' cut

Guy Maddin may be one of Canada's best-known unknown filmmakers. From his early, improbable success with "Tales From the Gimli Hospital," the director has relied on near-extinct film techniques to convey both a heavy dose of melodrama and a sly sense of humour. Maddin now works with international stars, but his humble origins are with the Winnipeg Film Group — a filmmakers' co-op that, over 30 years, has brought global acclaim to many Manitoba moviemakers.

Among the many singular visionaries of the Winnipeg Film Group, Shereen Jerrett stands out. She doesn't make anachronistic dramas, experimental films or comedic shorts: personal documentaries are her domain. In Dog Stories, Jerrett's latest, 13 dog owners talk about their pets but reveal much more about themselves. The film was warmly received in Australia, and now, as Jerrett's work comes home, CBC reporter Robert Enright previews the poodles and pugs of Dog Stories.
• Shereen Jerrett studied film at the University of Manitoba. Among her classmates was Guy Maddin. Professor George Toles — later Maddin's screenwriting partner — was an early film mentor of Jerrett's.
• Jerrett has made four films with the Winnipeg Film Group: The Waltz, Horsewoman, Dog Stories and Taking a Walk with Dad. For the latter, Jerrett re-edited home movies of her father as a boy and added new voice-over commentary from him.

• In 1992 Dog Stories premiered at Australia's Sydney International Film Festival. Seventeen Winnipeg Film Group movies also played in a retrospective at the festival.
• Jerrett is also the director of Kid Nerd (1997), a documentary in which adults — some very successful — recall the pain and pleasure of growing up as nerds.

• More recently Jerrett has directed at least two documentary television series. They include Head Over Wheels, about women and their cars, and Magnificent Obsessions, profiling people whose consuming interests go way beyond hobbies.
• As of 2004 Jerrett is an instructor in filmmaking at both the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba.
Medium: Television
Program: 24 Hours
Broadcast Date: Sept. 28, 1992
Guest(s):
Host: Sandra Lewis
Reporter: Robert Enright
Duration: 3:39
Film credit: Winnipeg Film Group

Last updated: February 17, 2012

Page consulted on December 19, 2012

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