Women in Black

A film by Claudia Sherwood

56 minutes

"...provocative and sensitive... compassionate..."

--Cineaste

"...sure to provoke a strong reaction from viewers...vastly entertaining and seriously challenging... For all collections."

--Library Journal

"...an occasionally humorous, sometimes disturbing documentary... This provocative title is a perfect discussion- prompter for educators, religious personnel, mental health professionals, and, of course, former parochial-school students."

--Booklist

From the film

From the Filmmaker:

I made this film for those who had these particular childhood experiences in their Catholic School education pre Vatican II, to find both humor in their healing process and to hear that it should never have happened.

--Claudia Sherwood 

Email: claudiasherwood@gmail.com for further information.

Growing up Catholic has had a strong impact on many people. This kaleidoscope of baby boomers' memories features adults describing, with a sense of humor and a sense of survival, childhood experiences of physical and psychological punishment during their education by Catholic nuns, especially in the Fifties and Sixties. Two prominent playwrights whose past works have reflected their Catholic school experiences, Chris Durang and Albert Innaurato, are featured, as well as a contemporary nun, a former nun and brother, and a psychologist/author whose primary study is school punishment in America. The film offers an understanding of both the austere differences in the lives of nuns of that era, and the rules of the Catholic church and society. Black and white footage of nuns and feature film clips, interlaced with a theatrical performance piece, are used to jar the memory in this often humorous documentary.

See the film trailer below: