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CM . . . .Volume V Number 16 . . . . April 9, 1999
This video looks at communal life in a Hutterite colony through the eyes of
two people who could not continue to live this life. Despite only having a
grade 8 education, Sam Hofer is a spiritually rebellious young Canadian
writer. Mary Wipf, an outspoken mother of 10, felt that she had no choice
but to leave the colony when she could not convince Hutterite authorities
to provide assistance for her alcoholic husband and her family.
The early part of the video shows some aspects of communal Hutterite
living, but, just when viewer interest in this type of live is piqued, the
video switches to interviews. While Sam and Mary are speaking throughout
most of the video, interviews are also held with Hutterite leaders of the
Crystal Springs Colony in Alberta.
This video is very person specific. The focus is on the two stories of
unhappiness, and it doesn't contain enough insight into the Hutterite way
of life. While the colony's point of view is presented, the focus is on the
two people who broke away and why the Hutterite way of life did not work
for them. Viewers looking for information on all aspects of Hutterite life
will be disappointed.
The sound quality of this video is erratic. Volume during the interviews
rises and falls seemingly at random, a situation which could create some
difficulties during classroom use. Because some of the photos of Sam's and
Mary's lives on the colonies have been blown up for filming purposes, they
are blurry and difficult to interpret.
For students and teachers interested in learning more about life on a
Hutterite colony, there are better resources. However, this video does
provide insights into the pain and difficulty in making choices which are
in opposition to a person's upbringing.
Recommended.
Katie Cook is a social studies teacher and teacher-librarian at the
Steinbach Regional Secondary School in Steinbach, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
Published by
TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - APRIL 9, 1999.
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