There are 122 projects in the current New York International Women Festival, a seasonal online film festival, submitted in a variety of categories (features, shorts, music videos, scripts), in various mediums (animation, fiction, documentary), from multiple countries. What’s unique about the New York International Women Festival is that in addition to centering cinema with a female gaze, they also look for films that emphasize style and fashion. Below is a sampling of the films that were submitted.
Hungry
Country: South Africa
A documentary short featuring the subject, Cynthia, which according to the director’s statement was filmed with the spontaneity of their meeting, with no pre-planned direction/shots. It’s part interview, and part fashion show, filled with a captivating subject, and some very nice cinematography combined with stills photography. The film didn’t need all the post effects (particularly the “aging of the film”), and narrative clarity may have benefited from having a clearer concept prior to filming. However, having said that, perhaps it was the unstructured/not pre-planned nature of the shoot that allowed Cynthia the level of ease in front of the camera that she had.
Director: Linda Notelovitz
Mother, Flower
Country: South Korea
This short is a narrative exploration of postpartum depression. Soo (played by Jinah Kang) gave birth and has been struggling since. This film was inspired by a documentary and desire to shine a light on the oft stigmatized topic. Our understanding of women’s health is still unfortunately limited, and so-called “women’s issues,” like postpartum were not talked about until recently. It was considered shameful for women to suffer this way. Many believed that having postpartum depression was to fail as a woman, to fail at the biological imperative. While it’s been given medical credence in recent years, many still feel the stigma, and films like this can help to change that narrative.
Written and directed by Eunhye Hong Kim.
The (Un)Holy Trinity
Country: United Kingdom
This film is pure style and fashion. Every frame is like a still from a magazine spread. Probably filmed at a high frame rate so that everything would be in extreme slow motion, giving it a dreamy ethereal effect. Visually this aided the filmmaker’s concept of reclaiming the narrative of Eve, Lilith, and Salome, from the Bible and showing their moment of defiance, usually portrayed as “fall from grace,” as a moment of inner strength.
Written and directed by Laura Jean Healey
June
Country: Germany
Carina Wachsmann found herself stuck on an island for four months, and she did what any filmmaker would do. She used the other people stranded with her to make her short film, this short film. The short film is a music video for the catchy song “June” by the German band Cinema Nova. The location is stunning, and Carina made every colour pop. Bruno, the dog, wasn’t the star of the film but was such a fun little character with his little blue mohawk, perfectly matching the house. Time moves in mysterious ways in this film.
Written and directed by Carina Wachsmann
Washing Machine
Country: Czech Republic
The description for this animated film was simply: “Wash and love.” And the director’s statement mentioned experience in children’s animation, so I was definitely surprised to find that the film was about a man and his sexual relationship with his washing machine. The surface-level images of this animated film were simplistic, not the kind that would likely garner much attention in a still, but the movement within the short, the little hair tug, the laundry going in and out of the washer, etc., all showed how skilled Alexandra Májová is as an animator.
Written by Alexandra Májová and Martin Máj
Directed by Alexandra Májová
The Deliberate Death of My Father
Country: Canada
This short is a coming-of-age film that deals with identity and a young woman struggling to bond with her estranged father. The film features wonderful performances from its cast, particularly by Raylene Harewood, who shines in the lead role of Zoey. This is most evident in her restrained reaction as the equally dynamic Dean McKenzie as her father spews vitriol at her. The film avoids the expected narrative choice, earlier dialogue acting as misdirect, and instead provides a different resolution. Based on what I saw in the film, it’s the healthier choice for the character at the time of the conclusion.
Written and directed by Rose Katché Duez