Ida Makes a Movie
Ida Makes a Movie is a 1979 short film that inspired the Degrassi franchise. It was directed by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler and was written by Amy Jo Cooper. The story was adapted from the children's picture book Ida Makes a Movie, which was written by Kay Chorao.
| Ida Makes a Movie | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Kit Hood Linda Schuyler |
| Produced by | Kit Hood Linda Schuyler |
| Written by | Amy Jo Cooper |
| Starring | Zoe Newman Elwy Yost |
Production company | National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Playing With Time Inc. |
Running time | 23 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Plot
The National Film Board of Canada is sponsoring a movie festival. Ida Lucas is a nine-year-old girl who decides to make a movie about the environment (specifically garbage), and enter it into the festival. The judges, thinking the film is about war, accept Ida's film into the festival finals. For her part, Ida feels terribly conflicted in this situation, unsure if she deserves to win because of a misunderstanding.
Cast
- Zoe Newman - Ida Lucas
- Dawn Harrison - Catherine "Cookie" Peters
- Allan Meiusi - Fred Lucas
Production
Linda Schuyler's friend Bruce Mackey let his house be used as a location; his dog also appears in the film. The film was shot over the course of 6 days in July 1979.
Spin-offs
Ida Makes A Movie, the first of four Degrassi television shorts, inspired directors Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler to create the TV series The Kids of Degrassi Street, followed by Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Degrassi: Next Class.
Bibliography
- Chorao, Kay (1974). Ida Makes a Movie. New York City: Seabury Press. ISBN 0-8164-3121-3.