PRINTA preview of the Citizen Jane Film Festival
A breakdown of this year's Citizen Jane film menagerie
September 29, 2011 | 12:00 a.m. CST
FRIDAY
Related ArticlesBob and the Monster
(2011)
“Junkie turned … angel” is the most succinct way to describe the protagonist of Kierda Bahruth’s award-winning documentary Bob and the Monster. This film chronicles Thelonius Monster frontman Bob Forrest’s addiction, recovery, relapse and rise from the ashes.
The Work of a Thousand
(Shorts Compilation)
Marion Stoddart leads the cause to clean up the Nashau River in Susan Edwards and Dorie Clark’s documentary Work of 1000 (2001). The film is the inspiration for a shorts compilation featuring a cast of characters who defy the odds and societal norms.
Whale Rider
(2002)
On the coast of New Zealand, Pai is the heir to the most prestigious position in her Maori tribe’s culture: the whale rider. There’s only one problem; she’s a girl. Whale Rider is a powerful film that embodies the spirit of determined women.
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
(2011)
Shot in a 1950s sci-fi style, this film is a funny, black-and-white take on a not-so-black-and-white issue. Watch as main character Jane develops a relationship with Zoinx, an alien she doesn’t realize is from outer space.
SATURDAY
About Love
(Shorts Compilation)
The About Love compilation trades in the awkward introductions and romantic grand gestures for the cold, hard realities of the emotion we’re all searching for.
It Happens to Us (1971)
and Taking Our Bodies Back: The Women’s Health Movement (1974)
These two films are oldies but goodies. It Happens to Us is a thought-provoking piece that weaves the testimonies of four women facing unwanted pregnancies. Taking Our Bodies Back complements its sister film with an exploration into the confusing worlds of women’s health and medicine.
Crossroads
(Shorts compilation)
Not to be confused with Britney Spears’ 2002 acting tour de force, Crossroads is a compilation of five compelling documentaries. Collectively, the films take an international look at people facing difficult choices and follow the effects of their decisions.
Apache 8
(2011)
For more than 30 years, the Apache 8 team of Native American women has been protecting Fort Apache, Ariz. from wildfires. Through the stories of four members, director Sande Zeig shows audiences the many struggles and successes of the all-female firefighting team.
A Circus in New York (Un Cirque de New York)
(2003)
French director Frédérique Pressmann’s retrospective take on the New York-based Circus Amok is a campy, creative collection of physical stunts and theatrical entertainment with a healthy dose of social critique.
Atomic Mom
(2010)
M.T. Silvia exposes the unsavory details of her mother’s work and confronts a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima. “My friend’s moms were, you know, making Rice Krispies Treats,” she says, “but my mom … she was doing secret government work with the atom bomb.”
The Real Princesses
(2011)
Written, directed and produced by students of the 2011 Citizen Jane Film Academy, this short is a comedic but critical look at the idealized version of young femininity and the way girls perceive and internalize it.
Southern Belle
(2011)
Kathy Conkwright and Mary Makley’s fascinating documentary a la Jesus Camp (2006) focuses on the 1861 Athenaeum Girls’ School in Columbia, Tenn., where teenage girls are taught all the graces of a young southern lady: submission, gentility and ignorance of the moral dilemma that was slavery.
Emerging Voices
(Shorts Compilation)
Nine distinct stories by rising filmmakers comprise the Emerging Voices presentation. Still peeks into the aftermath of stillbirth delivery. Touch wordlessly relays an intimate encounter between client and masseuse. Directed by a Stephens College alumna, Lost and Found is an interpretation of the Seoul, South Korea, lost-and-found, a citywide drop box. Baking With Mother is a delightfully quirky stop-motion flick about mother-daughter bonding gone wrong. Sk8 Like a Grrrl is an inspiring portrait of two young women in an intense male-dominated sport. Perpetuum, a no-dialogue thriller, has similarities to Inception (2010), but without the one-hour exposition on the rules of the game. Darwin: A Life in Poems is exactly what it sounds like: poems about Charles Darwin, voiced over biology videos. Last Minute follows the existential five-minute expansion of one rabbit’s last minute of life. The final film, Queen of Beasts, is a comedy about a wallflower turned wild child.
Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.
Farmageddon
(2010)
Kristin Canty busts open the barn door on the seedy consolidation of America’s farms. Those who enjoyed Food Inc. (2008) will be interested to see the glib, “grass-fed” farmer back to offer his entertaining commentary on the subject.
Somewhere Between
(2011)
150,000 Chinese children have been adopted worldwide since 1979, when the country’s one-child policy was enacted. Somewhere Between allows adoptees to describe their own ethnic status and what it’s like to know their adoptive baggage. Their responses are thoughtful, impressively mature and witty.
A Wake
(2009)
When an acting troupe reunites to pay its respects to its recently deceased leader, a battle of personalities ensues. The group is forced to face “the truth in life,” which as one of them so eloquently explains, can cost everything.
SUNDAY
The Secret Lives of Girls
(Shorts Compilation)
This compilation screening includes short films by young women from the world over, including a feature by Columbia Public Schools students.
Sneak Peak: Sarabah
(2011)
An astounding number of women are living with the effects of female genital mutilation, a custom that, in some places, is difficult to break. Senegalese hip-hop artist and advocate for the abolition of the practice, Sister Fa, has taken up the fight through music. This sneak peak from Maria Luisa Gambale and Gloria Bremer will precede the highly anticipated American debut.
Dish: Women, Waitressing & the Art of Service (2010)
and Stanley Pickle (2010)
In the eyes of many waitresses, serving is a game, and the object is to make tips. The ways women succeed are diverse and often degrading, but mastering the craft while in uniform doesn’t say a thing about their strength and conviction when the “Closed” sign hangs in the window. Dish promises a newfound respect for servers. Winner of 26 international film awards, the inventive and aesthetically pleasing.
Made in India
(2010)
Though it might not be traditional, surrogacy is becoming a viable option for would-be parents. Unfortunately, the practice stirs up much controversy. Made In India follows an American couple’s battle to obtain their surrogate-born children from India and reveals the messy business of fertility tourism.
