The Scandinavian Method

Co-presented by The Art Gallery of Guelph
Time: 7:00pm Venue: Art Gallery of GuelphTickets: $20/PWYW
Anik Salas ⋅ CANADA ⋅ 93 min

What if equality came with an instruction manual? From Iceland to Sweden, via Norway, Quebec filmmaker Anik Salas sets out to uncover the mystery behind the world champions of gender equality. Why these countries? What have they understood that Canada has yet to grasp? Through inspiring encounters with female politicians, executives and grassroots organizers who have dared to challenge the rules, the film reveals how these societies have transformed power. This is not feminism for show. It is rooted in political will, concrete strategies and a shared conviction that change requires patience and persistence.

Moving between investigation, travelogue and manifesto, The Scandinavian Method does more than condemn. It issues a clear invitation to all who refuse to accept the status quo. An urgent, fiercely committed film that insists equality cannot wait another century.

Post Screening Event: Meritocracy, my ass! A participatory panel about gender parity, power, leadership, workplace culture, and the barriers that still shape who gets heard, trusted, promoted, and taken seriously.

Director’s Bio:Passionate and versatile, Anik Salas practises her art from screenwriting to editing. Whether fiction or documentary, for her, directing is about taking a stand. Her first short film, The War of the Blueberries, won a Gold Remi Award, was released theatrically in Quebec, and was selected for festivals in Europe and the United States. After many fiction short films, she is now presenting her first feature documentary.

Panelist Bios:
Karen Farbridge (she/her)

Karen Farbridge served 11 years as Mayor of Guelph, Ontario, championing long-term thinking on community building, wellbeing and energy. As one of a still-small number of women to have led a Canadian city, she brings first-hand insight into what it takes for women to win, hold and use political power, and into the structures that help or hinder them.

Since 2015, Karen has run Karen Farbridge & Associates, advising municipalities on community energy planning. She has taught urban sustainability and community energy planning at the University of Guelph and York University, and holds a Ph.D. in Zoology. A Chartered Director, she serves on the Board of Directors of Meridian Credit Union, which is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Reconciliation.

Karen firmly believes that equality doesn't happen by accident. It takes transparency, accountability, and persistence. She is delighted to join the conversation on what Canada can learn from the Nordic approach to gender equality.

Dr. Melissa Perreault

Dr. Melissa Perreault is a Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and a Research Leadership Chair at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. A main focus of Dr. Perreault's work is on Indigenous national and global neuroethics initiatives, including Indigenous governance, policy, and the integration of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing into Euro-Western neuroscience research and clinical care. Dr. Perreault is also a translational neuroscientist, researching the sex-specific cellular mechanisms underlying select neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a member of the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists.

Melissa (Mel) Renaud

Melissa has built up a vast body of work at the Stratford Festival as both the Head of Sound for the Studio Theatre for the past 19 seasons and the Sound Designer for the Michael Langham Directors' Workshop Presentation for the over 9 seasons. She was the first woman to be hired into a Technical Theatre Department Head position at the Stratford Festival. She is also a part-time faculty member at York University acting as the Sound Design Advisor for the last three years. Additionally, Melissa is an educator with the UGDSB and is on the OSSTF Executive for the Occasional Teachers' Bargaining Unit. Melissa holds an Honours BA in History and Theatre from the University of Guelph and a BEd from OISE/University of Toronto.

Dionne Daley (she/her)

Dionne Daley is a market research leader, mortgage agent, and community builder passionate about creating more inclusive spaces and opportunities. With a career spanning senior leadership roles in the corporate world, Dionne brings a keen understanding of how systems, culture, and representation shape people's experiences and opportunities.

Outside the boardroom, Dionne founded the BIPOC Outdoor Gear Library, a community initiative born from recognizing barriers to outdoor recreation and deciding to do something about them. As a mortgage agent and founder of The Mortgage Ally, she brings that same ethos to housing, advocating for queer homebuyers and unconventional families who don't always see themselves reflected in traditional financial services.

A lover of the outdoors and a champion of community, Dionne is particularly interested in the intersections of gender, race, identity, access, and belonging — and in what it takes to move beyond simply talking about inclusion to actively creating meaningful change.

Wilma Aalbers

Wilma is a local educator, film festival volunteer and life long feminist. She enjoys a good post-documentary viewing chat.

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