Gudrun Parker facts for kids

Gudrun Johanna Bjerring Parker OC (born March 16, 1920 – died November 15, 2022) was a Canadian filmmaker, writer, and producer. She made films with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) during World War II and in the early 1950s. Gudrun Parker wrote the script for The Stratford Adventure, which was nominated for an Academy Award. She also helped direct Royal Journey, which won a BAFTA award.

Gudrun married another NFB filmmaker, Morten Parker. They often worked together on films. In 1963, they started their own company called Parker Film Associates. Even though she left the NFB in 1956 to raise her first child, Julie, Gudrun stayed active in filmmaking. Her husband traveled to film locations, while she worked from home. She produced and edited films. Later, she taught film studies at Vanier College. In 2005, she was given a special honor called the Officer of the Order of Canada (OC).

Gudrun Parker's family came from Iceland. Her parents moved to Canada from northern Iceland.

Her Filmmaking Journey

Gudrun Parker went to the University of Winnipeg. After she graduated, she worked as a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. She wrote about hotels and trains. One day, she met John Grierson, a famous documentary filmmaker. He was traveling across Canada to find people to work for the NFB. Grierson was very impressed with Gudrun and offered her a job. Gudrun later said she didn't even know the film board existed before she got the offer!

Gudrun moved from Winnipeg to Ottawa to start working at the NFB in March 1942. A scriptwriter named Graham McInnes, who worked with her, described her as "a very quiet, extremely persistent worker." He said she seemed sweet and easygoing, but she was actually very determined.

After working as an assistant for six months, Gudrun asked to direct her own film. She even found the money for it herself! She got sponsorship from the Department of National Health and Welfare. The film was called Vitamins A, B, C. It taught people how to eat healthy during wartime when food was scarce. It showed many scenes with children. She also worked on a film called "A Friend for Supper." This film encouraged Canadian children not to waste food. It suggested they imagine a child refugee was coming for dinner. This idea was very popular with both children and adults.

This success showed Gudrun's strong interest in children and education through film. Her next film, Before They Are Six (1943), was also about children. It showed the challenges women faced during the war. The film highlighted how women worked to create daycares for their children while they worked in factories.

Films After the War

In 1944, Gudrun Parker became the head of the NFB Educational Unit. She continued to focus on films for children. In the mid-1950s, she worked with Marjorie McKay to create three series of short educational films. One series, "What Do You Think," was for teenagers. Another, "What's Your Opinion," was for adults. The third, "What's Making up Your Mind," looked at how media can influence people.

Gudrun's films Musician in the Family and Being Different were special. They explored different roles for boys. In Being Different, a young boy likes butterflies, but his classmates make fun of him. These films showed important ideas about how boys are expected to act.

Gudrun also made films about Canadian arts. Her short documentary Listen to the Prairies (1946) was about a music festival in Manitoba. Her award-winning film Opera School (1951) showed a young opera singer at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Gudrun also wrote the script for The Stratford Adventure (1954). This documentary was about how the Stratford Festival started. Gudrun was supposed to direct this film, but she was pregnant. So, her husband, Morten Parker, directed it instead. The Stratford Adventure was a big success. It was nominated for an Oscar for best documentary feature. It was also named Film of the Year at the Canadian Film Awards. Gudrun later called the film an important "historical document." The film features famous actors like Tyrone Guthrie, Irene Worth, and Alec Guinness. A young Timothy Findley, who later became a famous writer, also appears briefly.

Later Life and Passing

Gudrun Parker passed away on November 15, 2022, in Edmonton, Alberta. She was 102 years old.

Her Impact on Film

Experts say Gudrun Parker's films show an important time in Canadian filmmaking. Her early films were simple and focused on social issues. Over time, her films became more artistic and polished. They still had a social purpose, but they also showed her personal style. This helped shape how Canadian documentaries were made for a whole generation of filmmakers.

Filmography Highlights

Here are some of the films Gudrun Parker worked on:

• Vitamins A, B, C and D (1943) - Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
• Before they are Six (1943) - Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
• A Friend For Supper (1944) - Director/Writer
• Listen to the Prairies (1946) - Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
• Opera School (1951) - Director/Editor
• Royal Journey (1951) - Director
• A Musician in the Family (1953) - Director/Editor
• The Stratford Adventure (1954) - Director/Writer
• Being Different (1957) - Writer

Awards and Honors

• Officer of the Order of Canada: Gudrun Parker received this high honor on November 17, 2005.

Other awards for her films include:

• Who Will Teach Your Child: Won a Canadian Film Award (1949).
• Family Circles: Won a Canadian Film Award (1950).
• Royal Journey: Won a Canadian Film Award for best feature film and a BAFTA (1952).
• Opera School: Won a Canadian Film Award (1952).
• The Stratford Adventure: Nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) (1953).
• A City Sings: Nominated for the Cannes Short Film of the Year (1946).