Portrait of the artist as an old lady

Paraskeva Clark, artist, socialist, feminist, is her own woman at her own cost. This film is a cameo of an irascible and oftentimes touching artist whose work has won her a place in exhibitions and private collections. Born in Russia in 1898, she eventually married a Canadian and moved to Toronto. Because her canvases reflect a strong social conscience, she had to struggle hard to earn a place in the nation’s ultra-conservative galleries. With Germaine Greer narrating, this film explores Clarke’s early life through photographs, reminiscences and her painting. (Awards: Montrial, Melbourne)