1. Vic + Flo Saw a Bear
Premiering at the Berlin International Film Festival, Vic + Flo Saw a Bear won the Alfred Bauer Award. It was additionally nominated both for the queer-themed Teddy Award and the top prize, The Golden Bear. The film follows two lesbian ex-cons trying to live their life in backwoods Quebec. However, the couple’s probation officer is determined to make life difficult for them and Flo’s past comes back to haunt her.
Watch Vic + Flo Saw a Bear on Amazon. Also available on Hoopla and Crave.
2. Cloudburst
A Canadian/American co-production, Cloudburst tells the story of senior couple Dot and Stella. As Dot’s health fails, her daughter places her in a care home and doesn’t allow Stella to visit. After breaking Dot out, the couple decides to hitchhike from America to Canada to get legally married. Cloudburst is one of my all-time favourite WLW films. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. Read my full review here.
Watch it on Amazon.
3. Anne Trister
Anne Trister is the debut film from noted Canadian WLW director Léa Pool. The film follows an artist named Anne who moves to Montreal after the death of her father. Still coping with this tragedy, Anne befriends a child psychiatrist and finds her feelings growing into something more than friendship.
Anne Trister is available to buy on Amazon.
4. Better Than Chocolate
A wall-to-wall queer romantic comedy, Better Than Chocolate is about two Vancouver-based lesbians named Maggie and Kim. Their very LGBT-centric existence is challenged when Maggie’s mother Lila gets divorced and moves in with her. Wackiness ensures as Lila, who is naive about issues of sexuality and gender is suddenly in a situation involving lesbians, trans people and the generally sexually diverse group of people that make up Maggie and Kim’s social circle.
Better Than Chocolate is available to rent or buy on Amazon and to stream on Vudu.
5. When Night is Falling
When Night is Falling is a love story between a professor at a religious college and a sexy, exciting carnival worker. The film has a great central romance and a happy ending.
Rent or buy When Night is Falling on Amazon or stream it on IMDB TV.
6. Below Her Mouth
Exceedingly sexy, Below Her Mouth stars Erika Linder and Natalie Krill as two women who immediately form a strong sexual attraction. The film is notable for having a very queer female gaze in relation to its female characters and sex scenes. A rare, sexually charged WLW film made for and by queer women. Read my full review here.
The film is available for rental and purchase on Amazon as well as on Itunes, Vudu, Cineplex and Youtube.
7. The Carmilla Movie
Following the successful web-series, The Carmilla Movie continues to follow the supernatural investigations of lesbian couple Carmilla and Laura. This time they go to a haunted house where they are confronted with Carmilla’s dead lover, Ell. The Carmilla Movie is pure fan service for people who liked the web-series.
The Carmilla Movie is available for purchase on its official site.
8. Lost and Delirious
I’m not a big personal fan of this one, but Lost and Delirious is one of the most successful Canadian WLW films of all time. People might have actually seen this one. The film focuses on two girls at a boarding school. When their lesbian relationship is discovered, pretty much everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Read my full review here.
Lost and Delirious is available on Amazon. You can also find the movie on Hulu, Epix, Youtube and Itunes.
9. Fire
An Indian/Canadian co-production, Deepa Mehta’s Fire is a depiction of two Indian women in loveless marriages. The women find solace and eventually romance with each other. Fire was highly critically acclaimed but also sparked controversy and protests in India for its depictions of homosexuality.
Fire is available for purchase on Amazon.
10. The Fox
The Fox is one of those movies that’s both classic cinema and also at least a little homophobic. Based on the novella by D.H. Lawrence, the film takes place on a Canadian chicken farm run by two women named Jill and Ellen. Their daily struggles are magnified by the appearance of Paul who represents masculinity and heterosexuality.
You can buy The Fox on Amazon.
11. Porcupine Lake
This queer coming-of-age narrative is set in Nothern Ontario during the summer holidays. Porcupine Lake follows two young girls coping with various teenage problems as well as the emergence of queer feelings and sexuality.
Porcupine Lake is available on Amazon, Vudu, Google Play and free to stream on Kanopy.
12. Almost Adults
Almost Adults stars Natasha Negovanlis and Elise Bauman of Carmilla fame. The film is about two best friends who find as they reach adulthood, they begin to grow apart. Bauman’s character, Mackenzie is working through her identity as a lesbian. Meanwhile Negovanlis’s character, Cassie is in the midst of breaking up with a long-term boyfriend.
Almost Adults is available one Amazon. Also avaible to rent on Google Play and Youtube
13. I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing
I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing follows the life of Polly, the queer and quirky lead character. After getting a job at an art gallery, Polly begins to idolize her boss, Gabrielle. She becomes jealous when Gabrielle rekindles a relationship with a previous female lover.
I’ve Heard The Mermaids Singing is available for purchase on Amazon.
14. Johnny Greyeyes
Johnny Greyeyes is the only WLW film I know of that has an Aboriginal WLW main character. The story follows the titular character who finds love with another woman while incarcerated. Meanwhile on the outside, her brother is planning to commit a robbery.
Buy the movie on Amazon or rent it on WolfeonDemand.
15. Revoir Julie
Revoir Julie is a small and charming French-Canadian film. The movie takes place over two days. It focuses on two friends seeing each other for the first time in 15 years. Over the course of the film, they make the jump from friends into lovers.
Revoir Julie is available for purchase on Amazon.
16. To Each Her Own
Not to be confused with the 2018 French WLW film of the same name, the 2008 Canadian To Each Her Own is about the intense bond between Casey, an open lesbian and Jess, a married woman. Jess is forced to confront her sexuality despite the possibility that it will upset numerous aspects of her life and family.
To Each Her Own is available for rental or purchase on Amazon.
17. Portrait of a Serial Monogamist
Set in Toronto, this romantic comedy follows Elsie, a lesbian with a history of serious, monogamous relationships. While in yet another serious relationship, Elsie decides to take a risk and end that relationship in pursuit of a new woman. However, she is unsure if she made the right choice and is given conflicting advice from her family and friends.
The film is available on Amazon as well as for rental on Youtube and Google Play.
18. Trigger
What’s more WLW than rock and roll? This dialogue and character-driven film follows two old friends, lovers and band members who reconnect after ten years.
Trigger is available on Amazon, Google Play and Youtube.
19. Fun
Fun follows the dangerous relationship between two girls, Hillary and Bonnie. After they quickly bond with one another, the go on an increasingly extreme crime spree. Their actions culminate in the murder of an old woman.
Fun is available to purchase on Amazon.
20. Nude Study
A rare film that takes place in Arctic Canada, Nude Study is about a filmmaker named Sarah who travels to the arctic and meets the alluring Lyndsay. Lyndsay acts as friend, muse and lover. The two women become increasingly caught up in each other and consumed by the depths of their feelings and desires.
Nude Study is available for rental or purchase on Amazon or to stream on Yuyu.
21. Tru Love
Tru Love follows a commitment-phobic lesbian named Tru. Tru forms an unlikely friendship with a widow named Alice. Their relationship begins to progress past friendship into romance. However, in addition to the women’s personal problems, Alice’s daughter Suzanne disapproves of their relationship and tries to sabotage it.
Tru Love can be rented or bought on Amazon or Itunes.
22. By Design
By Design is one of the earlier films I’ve found to deal with the journey to queer parentage. Released in 1981, the film follows lesbian couple Helen and Angie who begin a mission to conceive a child.
By Design is a difficult movie to track down. It is available in VHS format on Amazon.
23. Compulsion
A remake of the Korean film, 301/302, this Canadian version stars Heather Graham and Carrie-Anne Moss. The story focuses on two women who have neighbouring apartments. Both also have simultaneously conflicting and complimentary obsessions which leads to thrills and blood.
Compulsion is available for rental and purchase on Amazon, Google Play and Youtube.
24. Margarita
Dealing with themes of immigration, Margarita is about an imperfect suburban couple, Ben and Gail. Upon firing Margarita, the lesbian Mexican nanny to their child, a sequence of events is set off that leads to Margarita’s deportation.
Margarita is available on Amazon.
25. Finn’s Girl
Finn’s Girl deals with the issue of abortion clinics and pro-life protesters. The main character is Dr. Finn Jeffries, who has recently become the guardian to the daughter of her dead partner, Nancy. In addition, Finn takes over the abortion clinic run by Nancy and has to deal with protests and threats from the pro-life contingent.
Buy or Rent Finn’s Girl on Amazon.
26. Idle Thoughts
Like a queer version of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Day, Idle Thoughts is about a writer who begins writing a guide to faking a long-term relationship. Of course, in the midst of faking a relationship, the possibility of real feelings develop. A classic romance trope given a WLW twist.
Idle Thoughts is free to watch with Amazon Prime. Also available to rent or buy through Youtube, Vudu and Itunes.
27. What Keeps You Alive
What Keeps You Alive follows a newlywed lesbian couple on their one year anniversary vacation. However, this vacation quickly takes a turn into the horrific and murder-y. Read my full review here.
What Keeps You Alive is available on Amazon, Crave, Youtube and Google Play.
28. The Baby Formula
This vaguely science fiction but increasingly plausible comedy film follows a lesbian couple who want not only a child but one that shares their genetic code. This desire leads to them signing up for an experimental procedure to have sperm created from their stem cells. Comedy ensues when the procedure leads to both women being pregnant at the same time.
The Baby Formula is available to purchase on Amazon and to stream through Crave.
29. Chinese Chocolate
Chinese Chocolate focuses on two Chinese immigrants to Canada who fall in love. The film focuses on issues of immigration and Chinese female sexuality while being a universal story of love and connection.
Purchase the film on Amazon.
30. 2 Seconds
2 Seconds features Laurie, a lesbian who’s too interested in biking to date much. Laurie develops a friendship with the owner of a local bike shop named Lorenzo. If you’re a WLW who likes bikes, this is the movie for you.
2 Seconds is available to purchase through Amazon.
31. Set Me Free
Another WLW film by Léa Pool, Set Me Free is about Hannah, a 13 year old who uses cinema as escapism from her unhappy home life. Obsessed with Godad’s Vivre sa Vie, Hannah experiments with prostitution and develops a crush on her female teacher.
Set Me Free is difficult to find with English subtitles. If you do speak French, the DVD is available on Amazon.
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