After the Montreal massacre

In 1989 Marc Lepine shot and killed 14 women students. As he opened fire he yelled “You’re all a bunch of feminists”. This program is a useful tool not only in analysing this femicide, but throws light on what has become an increasing trend of male violence against women. Sylvie Gagnon, a survivor of the massacre, and other Canadian women talk of their fears, the influence of the media and social conditions, the Women’s Movement and the need to be empowered. The pervasive thread underlying their narrative is that violence towards women is not a solitary act committed by a disturbed personality, but instilled into the cultural and social fabric of society as one of the most pervasive yet least recognised violations of Human Rights. The haunting images taken on the day of the massacre and in the days following, are terrifying and moving, challenging us to explore the urgent issues of misogyny, male violence and sexism.