Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Donna Read

Donna Read is a Canadian film director and editor. Her work includes Women and Spirituality: The Goddess Trilogy and Yemanja: Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (2015).

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
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Donna Read
Born
Donna Read Cooper

1938 (age 87–88)
OccupationFilmmaker
Children5

Donna Read (born 1938) is a Canadian film director1 and editor.2 Her work includes Women and Spirituality: The Goddess Trilogy3 and Yemanja: Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (2015).4

Career

Read is a Montreal-based film director and editor.5 She formed a film company, Belili Productions, with the feminist writer Starhawk.6 From 1963, Read worked at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).7

Between 1989 and 1993 Read directed a "Goddess Trilogy"8 about feminist spirituality, produced by Studio D.9 The first two parts of the trilogy, Goddess Remembered and The Burning Times, were supported by the NFB. The Catholic church made a failed attempt to ban The Burning Times.10 In 1991, the NFB refused to fund Read's work any further, citing the "controversy and lack of interest"11 surrounding her work.

Work

  • November (1970) – editor7
  • Working Mothers series – editor
  • Mask and Drum (1973) – producer and editor
  • Kripalu (1973) - director7
  • C'est la Vie (1982) – editor
  • It's Just Better (1982) – editor
  • Too dirty for a woman – editor
  • Behind the Veil: Nuns – editor12
  • Adam's World (1989) – director13
  • Goddess Remembered (1989) – director
  • The Burning Times (1990) – director
  • Full Circle (1993) – director
  • Signs out of the Time: The life of archaeologist Marija Gimbutas (2004)14 with Starhawk15 - co-director, editor
  • Permaculture: The Growing Edge (2010) – co-director16
  • Yemanja Wisdom from the African Heart of Brazil (2015)

Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1993 International Documentary Special Award for The Burning Times CableACE Award Won17
2016 Saga Award for Special Contributions to Women's History and Culture The Association for Study of Women and Mythology Won18
2018 Award for Outstanding Independent Documentary Black Reel Awards Nominated
References

References

  1. Solnit, David (2009). The battle of the story of the battle of Seattle. California, USA: AK Press. p. 44. ISBN 9781904859635.
  2. Lewis, Randolph (2006). Alanis Obomsawin:the vision of a native filmmaker. Nebraska, USA: University of Nebraska. p. 212. ISBN 0803229631.
  3. Mazur, Eric Michael (2011). Encyclopedia of Religion and Film. California, USA: ABC-CLIO. p. 466. ISBN 9780313330728.
  4. Jaimee A Swift (2017-06-15). "Candomblé, Afro-Brazilian Women, and African Religiosity in Brazil". aaihs.org. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
  5. Mitford, Jessica (1992). The American way of birth. New York, USA: Dutton. p. 22. ISBN 9780525935230.
  6. Coles, Robert (2008). Spiritual leaders who changed the world: the essential handbook to the past century of religion. Vermont, USA: Skylight Paths Publication. p. 42. ISBN 9781594732416.
  7. "Religion News". Andover Townsman. Andover, USA. 1997-10-04. p. 23.
  8. "Events". Ann Arbor Observer. Ann Arbor, USA. 1993-07-01. p. 87.
  9. "What's New". The Wise Woman (Vol. 11 No. 1 ed.). California, USA: The Wise Woman. 1990. p. 38. ISSN 0883-119X.
  10. "Women and spirituality". San Francisco Bay Times. San Francisco, USA. 1991-11-07. p. 15.
  11. "Goddess Remembered". Green Egg (Vol. XXIV No. 95 ed.). California, USA: Church of All Worlds. December 1991. p. 9.
  12. "Behind the veil: Nuns". Whole Earth Review (No. 74 ed.). California, USA: POINT. Spring 1992. p. 68.
  13. Vanstone, Gail (2007). D is for Daring: the women behind the films of Studio D. Toronto, Canada: Sumach Press. p. 228. ISBN 9781894549677.
  14. Navickaite, Rasa (2023). Transnational Biography, feminist reception and the controversy of goddess archaeology. London, UK: Routledge. p. 170. ISBN 9781032104898.
  15. George Franklin (Summer 2004). "Signs out of time". Reclaiming quarterly: Witchcraft and magical activism (No. 94 ed.). California, USA: Reclaiming. p. 33.
  16. Zackheim, Victoria (2012). Exit laughing: How humor takes the sting out of death. California, USA: North Atlantic Books. p. 284. ISBN 9781583944073.
  17. Stephen Herbert (1993-01-18). "HBO, 'Dream On' Big Winners in Cable Awards : Television: The cable network takes 32 of the 81 prizes in the 14th annual ACEs. Disney Channel is second with 7". latimes.com. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  18. "Donna Read wins 2016 Saga Award". womenandmyth.org. 2016-04-16. Retrieved 2025-09-28.