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The Fruit Machine

Some softened by age and sadness, others loud and angry, the voices of the survivors of Canada’s public service homosexual purge are now united, and determined. They are torqued by decades of silence, years of being ignored. They demand justice, and they want to be heard. Theirs is a story of betrayal that is both national and deeply personal. Men and women who dedicated their lives to public service, some signing oaths of allegiance and servitude; casualties of a political tapestry woven in the fibers of acute security measures that somehow became normalized.

Director

Sarah Fodey

Year

Genre

Box Office

N/A

Production

SandBay Entertainment

Awards

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast information not available.

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Explore 387 Clips

There's always been a concern
with people in the forces. - The Fruit Machine

There's always been a concern with people in the forces...

I work hard at my job.
I don't get it. - The Fruit Machine

I work hard at my job. I don't get it.

- I was subjected
to this military policy - The Fruit Machine

- I was subjected to this military policy

So, it was so humiliating
to be so dedicated - The Fruit Machine

So, it was so humiliating to be so dedicated

- By doing what you've
done to me does not encourage - The Fruit Machine

- By doing what you've done to me does not encourage

- And finally,
the last question they asked was - The Fruit Machine

- And finally, the last question they asked was

- And I mean,
they would read people's mails, - The Fruit Machine

- And I mean, they would read people's mails,

Because they wanted
to find out if they were - - The Fruit Machine

Because they wanted to find out if they were -

This was their main reasoning. - The Fruit Machine

This was their main reasoning.

And yet, I had more men
come onto me in the military, - The Fruit Machine

And yet, I had more men come onto me in the military,

So, I mean, I was more harassed,
with you know, married men, - The Fruit Machine

So, I mean, I was more harassed, with you know, married men,

- You'd have to understand
the types of questions, - The Fruit Machine

- You'd have to understand the types of questions,

- Back in the 70s
they used to punch us like this, - The Fruit Machine

- Back in the 70s they used to punch us like this,

Your feet were not perfect,
so they would go like this - The Fruit Machine

Your feet were not perfect, so they would go like this

Or they would hit your leg
with their pace stick - The Fruit Machine

Or they would hit your leg with their pace stick

So this guy pointed at me
for two and half hours, - The Fruit Machine

So this guy pointed at me for two and half hours,

I am almost an MP, so, I've
learned all those techniques. - The Fruit Machine

I am almost an MP, so, I've learned all those technique...

- "You can't do this to me." - The Fruit Machine

- "You can't do this to me."

It still isn't today.
"You can't do this to me." - The Fruit Machine

It still isn't today. "You can't do this to m...

- And I remember telling them
in one of the interviews, - The Fruit Machine

- And I remember telling them in one of the interviews,

They did everything against
the law when you think about it - The Fruit Machine

They did everything against the law when you think about it

- I think
what people need to remember - The Fruit Machine

- I think what people need to remember

They were very young people.
They were a long way from home. - The Fruit Machine

They were very young people. They were a long way from home.

- And when you feel they know -
I remember - The Fruit Machine

- And when you feel they know - I remember

I'm telling them, I am gay." - The Fruit Machine

I'm telling them, I am gay."

But right then I thought the
consequences will be nothing. - The Fruit Machine

But right then I thought the consequences will be nothing.

I'm a good soldier,
I do everything the way - The Fruit Machine

I'm a good soldier, I do everything the way

So, I gave up,
I told them the truth, - The Fruit Machine

So, I gave up, I told them the truth,

- They started asking me
about other young women - The Fruit Machine

- They started asking me about other young women

And they go through
every single one of them. - The Fruit Machine

And they go through every single one of them.

They pointed out to me
that I had failed it - The Fruit Machine

They pointed out to me that I had failed it

And when they asked if I knew,
I said yes and they got out - The Fruit Machine

And when they asked if I knew, I said yes and they got out

I did not
want to be the cause... - The Fruit Machine

I did not want to be the cause...

I didn't want to be the one, - The Fruit Machine

I didn't want to be the one,

- But for me to be in that room,
somebody had to talk, - The Fruit Machine

- But for me to be in that room, somebody had to talk,

So, they were suspicious
already that I'm gay. - The Fruit Machine

So, they were suspicious already that I'm gay.

- CFAO 19-20 gave them
all the right to do anything - The Fruit Machine

- CFAO 19-20 gave them all the right to do anything

Every single second
of your life, they know. - The Fruit Machine

Every single second of your life, they know.

- The three questions
were "Are you homosexual? - The Fruit Machine

- The three questions were "Are you homosexual?

Are you bisexual?
Or are you heterosexual?" - The Fruit Machine

Are you bisexual? Or are you heterosexual?"

You know what I am." - The Fruit Machine

You know what I am."

- And then they start reading - The Fruit Machine

- And then they start reading

They followed me
for a whole month. - The Fruit Machine

They followed me for a whole month.

- They told me that I was
a lesbian, and that there was - The Fruit Machine

- They told me that I was a lesbian, and that there was

- So, - The Fruit Machine

- It was like a movie.
It was like a movie. - The Fruit Machine

- It was like a movie. It was like a movie.

But in the movies,
they take actors. - The Fruit Machine

But in the movies, they take actors.

I was a teenager, I was a kid. - The Fruit Machine

I was a teenager, I was a kid.

I cried so much,
that the medics said - The Fruit Machine

I cried so much, that the medics said

But we ended up in St-Joseph
Hospital, in psychiatry. - The Fruit Machine

But we ended up in St-Joseph Hospital, in psychiatry.

- The next thing
they did was ask me - The Fruit Machine

- The next thing they did was ask me

And I thought, hmm... - The Fruit Machine

And I thought, hmm...

And he goes "We're not here
to discuss treatment, - The Fruit Machine

And he goes "We're not here to discuss treatment,

- All I remember
is getting a shot, - The Fruit Machine

- All I remember is getting a shot,

The first time
took maybe 30-some days - The Fruit Machine

The first time took maybe 30-some days

Five electroshock treatments
were given to me. - The Fruit Machine

Five electroshock treatments were given to me.

Five of them have been
documented on the medical file. - The Fruit Machine

Five of them have been documented on the medical file.

- So, I stayed in psychiatry
and days went by - The Fruit Machine

- So, I stayed in psychiatry and days went by

So, I put my uniform back, sign
all the paper, and walked out. - The Fruit Machine

So, I put my uniform back, sign all the paper, and walked ou...

- I still have the letter saying - The Fruit Machine

- I still have the letter saying

- 1989 I was released
honourably by the military, - The Fruit Machine

- 1989 I was released honourably by the military,

- The release
orderly room was busy and so, - The Fruit Machine

- The release orderly room was busy and so,

- While
I was being investigated, - The Fruit Machine

- While I was being investigated,

He says "You're being promoted,
congratulations!" - The Fruit Machine

He says "You're being promoted, congratulations!&q...

But picked up the promotion - The Fruit Machine

But picked up the promotion

- So we get to headquarters - The Fruit Machine

- So we get to headquarters

So, it felt like, like, - The Fruit Machine

So, it felt like, like,

Being paraded like this from
office to office to do "my out", - The Fruit Machine

Being paraded like this from office to office to do "my...

So, once it was done,
I had to stop at the MP station - The Fruit Machine

So, once it was done, I had to stop at the MP station

I started crying so much,
and I have to give to - The Fruit Machine

I started crying so much, and I have to give to

And the gate opened
and I was a civilian. - The Fruit Machine

And the gate opened and I was a civilian.

- This for me,
that moment in my life, - The Fruit Machine

- This for me, that moment in my life,

I was so like, the floor
opened under your feet, - The Fruit Machine

I was so like, the floor opened under your feet,

Like in my head
and my self-esteem - The Fruit Machine

Like in my head and my self-esteem

- I knew that
there were rapes that went on, - The Fruit Machine

- I knew that there were rapes that went on,

And letting the boys be boys.
And that was acceptable. - The Fruit Machine

And letting the boys be boys. And that was acceptable.

- I went to the mess hall
to meet some friends - The Fruit Machine

- I went to the mess hall to meet some friends

And some young Corporal put a
drug in my glass and drugged me, - The Fruit Machine

And some young Corporal put a drug in my glass and drugged m...

I woke up
in his apartment the next day - The Fruit Machine

I woke up in his apartment the next day

And he told me why I was there
and why he had raped me - The Fruit Machine

And he told me why I was there and why he had raped me

Backlash,
I don't know how to find - The Fruit Machine

Backlash, I don't know how to find

People knew I was there
because I was waiting to be - The Fruit Machine

People knew I was there because I was waiting to be

So, one night, I was raped
by three soldiers, - The Fruit Machine

So, one night, I was raped by three soldiers,

Knew what having a big one was. - The Fruit Machine

Knew what having a big one was.

To this day I still
don't know who these guys were, - The Fruit Machine

To this day I still don't know who these guys were,

- It was a scenario
from a horror story. - The Fruit Machine

- It was a scenario from a horror story.

in their right state of mind, - The Fruit Machine

in their right state of mind,

For me, the reality, because
when I went out of there, - The Fruit Machine

For me, the reality, because when I went out of there,

I was not part of it.
I was just excluded of it. - The Fruit Machine

I was not part of it. I was just excluded of it.

So, I could not trust nobody. - The Fruit Machine

So, I could not trust nobody.

The Fruit Machine poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Some softened by age and sadness, others loud and angry, the voices of the survivors of Canada’s public service homosexual purge are now united, and determined. They are torqued by decades of silence, years of being ignored. They demand justice, and they want to be heard. Theirs is a story of betrayal that is both national and deeply personal. Men and women who dedicated their lives to public service, some signing oaths of allegiance and servitude; casualties of a political tapestry woven in the fibers of acute security measures that somehow became normalized.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Sarah Fodey

Writer: Sarah Fodey

Production: SandBay Entertainment

Genre: documentary

Year: 2018

MetaScore: N/A/100

ImdbRating: 7.9

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 01 May 2018

Awards: 4 wins & 2 nominations

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