5 Films to See at the 7th China Women's Film Festival
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The seventh China Women's Film Festival may have had to adopt a new name but the team has stayed true to form: selecting a rich crop of eye-opening, intriguing, and socially-conscious films from around the world. This year, the event launches under the banner of Baturu International Cultural Festival. Considering the circumstances, it's fitting that they have redubbed the festival "baturu," a Manchurian word that means bravery or warrior.
Directed by Mouly Surya - Indonesia, 2018
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts puts an Indonesian twist on the familiar languid wide shots and sparse guitar scores of a Western. After protagonist Marlina (Marsha Timothy) survives an encounter with a band of rapist thieves, killing several of them in the process, she leaves her remote home on a mission to confess her crimes. Fun fact: she takes a special "memento" from one of one of her assaulters with her all the way.
Directed by Wash Westmoreland - USA, UK, Hungary, France, Netherlands, 2018
No stranger to costume dramas, Keira Knightly returns to the genre to play the influential early 20th-century author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, better known simply as Colette. The film details her marriage to the Parisian writer Henry "Willy" Gauthier-Villars, a coupling that takes Colette far away from her childhood home in rural France. Willy then convinces Colette to ghostwrite for him, and the resulting semi-autobiographical novel about a country girl "Claudine" goes on to becomes a bestseller. However, after all the credit goes to Willy, Colette decides to fight for creative ownership, challenging traditional gender roles in the process.
Directed by Desiree Akhavan - USA, 2018
The Miseducation of Cameron Post documents the harrowing tale of Cameron Post (played by Chloë Grace Moretz) as she is shipped off to conversion therapy facility having been caught with another girl at prom night. The center pushes notorious gay conversion techniques such as repentant Christian rock songs, as well as more violent techniques. Yet despite the cruel conditions, Post is able to fit in and find a community among all of her fellow "sinners."
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Directed by Wanuri Kahiu - Kenya, 2018
Kena and Ziki, two young Kenyan girls, don't feel content with the idea of marrying and living ordinary lives. Instead, they swear to help each other pursue their dreams. As their close friendship blossoms into love, the women are forced to choose between happiness or safety. Rafiki adeptly illustrates the deep-set conservative values in Kenyan society and the price many people pay for challenging them.
Directed by Beatriz Carretero - Spain, 2019
Spanish documentary Daughters of Cynisca explores gender inequality in the world of sport, where male athletes are worshipped and rewarded while female athletes often have to fight for their right just to be acknowledged. Here, successful female athletes from across various disciplines share their stories, exposing their experience with unfair treatment in sport and offer ideas on how inequality can be eradicated in the future.
READ: 4 Movies to Add to Your To-Watch List This Month
Images: courtesy of Baturu International Cultural Festival
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