.: San Francisco Women's Film Festival : Movie Descriptions 2009 :.

2009 San Francisco Women's Film Festival | Movie Descriptions

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 - 7:00 PM | Hip Hop: Manifesting Spiritual and Communal Energy

$20 Advance, $25 Door

Bay Area Cypher directed By Idris Hassan (USA, 2007, 27 min, Documentary)
A performance documentary that blends live freestyle presentations with short interviews that document the unique evolution of Hip Hop in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Filmmaker Q&A

Special live performance by award-winning spoken word artist Kirya Traber

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 - 8:00 PM | Networking Reception, sponsored by Barefoot Bubbly

Included with 7:00 PM ticket

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1 - 9:15 PM | Women, Politics, Revolution!

Included with 7:00 PM ticket

Incongruent Body directed by Jian Lee (USA, 2008, 6 min, Documentary/Animation/Experimental)
A film about issues in women's body images.

Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority directed by Kimberlee Bassford (USA, 2008, 56 min, Documentary)
Patsy Takemoto Mink made headline news in 1965 when she became the first woman of color to serve in the U.S Congress. An outspoken liberal, Mink stood out for her opposition to the Vietnam War and her fierce advocacy for equality and justice in America. Award-winning filmmaker Kimberlee Bassford chronicles the fascinating life of this pioneering politician who co-authored Title IX, the 1972 landmark decision prohibiting sex discrimination in schools, whether in education or athletics. Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority is the story of this dynamic trailblazer who, battling racism and sexism, redefined American politics.

9th Street Independent Film Center
145 9th Street, San Francisco

(510) 235-0709
ninthstreet.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

THURSDAY, APRIL 2 - 6:00 PM | Local Filmmaker Spotlight: Documentary and Activism Panel

$10 Advance, $12 Door

America's Most Unwanted directed by Shani Heckman (Work-in-progress/Documentary
America's Most Unwanted, is a project that reveals tales of hope and survival from former foster youth and group home kids. The dismal statistics for foster youth are well known: less than sixty percent graduate from high school and even less make it college, let alone through college. More than half of foster youth will end up homeless and within two years of exiting their state care. Lesser known are thousands of other foster kids that also made "it", graduating from college, living healthy lives and enjoying happy families. This side of the wheel is rarely revealed and as a consequence few foster youth have positive role models or much inspiration. America's Most Unwanted will reveal the other side of growing up in state care: strength, courage and endurance.

Moms Living Clean directed by Sheila Ganz (Work-in-progress/Documentary)
This feature documentary-in-progress reveals the trans-formative effect an innovative residential substance abuse treatment program has on six mothers and their young children interwoven with drug policies that impact pregnant and parenting mothers. Moms Living Clean sheds light on the issues and individuals exploring opposing ways of dealing with substance abuse - treatment vs. incarceration. The film chronicles six mothers in a women and children's residential treatment program over three years, from entry through transition, where they learn recovery and good parenting skills, and attempt to become self-sufficient.

The Eyes of Thailand directed by Windy Borman (Work-in-progress/Documentary)
In 1993, Thailand boasted 40,000 Thai Asian Elephants. By November 2007, a mere 14 years later, there were less than 2,600 left in captivity. In response to this staggering decline, a North American theatre company, known as "The Chiang Mai Project", traveled to northern Thailand to raise international awareness about the rapid extinction of one of Thailand's national icons. Once there, they learned that not only are the Thai Asian Elephants endangered, but the remaining are overworked, abused, or disfigured from injuries resulting from Thailand's rapid industrialization.

The Trust directed by Tamara Perkins (Work-in-progress/Documentary)
The Trust is a feature length documentary shot inside San Quentin State Prison and in surrounding Bay Area communities. The film is a character-driven story about the daily struggle of incarceration faced by three San Quentin inmates. After one man is released, the film follows him home as he attempts to re-integrate into society. The main characters and participants in The National Trust program, also known as The Trust, which helps life-term inmates mentor and guide short-term inmates to repair the communities they once corrupted and learn new pro-social values. Founded by Dr.Garry Mendez, Jr. more than 20 years ago, the goal of the Trust program is to transform the incarcerated from social liabilities into assets for themselves, their families and their communities.

THURSDAY, APRIL 2 - 7:30 PM | Indie Spotlight: Short Film Showcase

Included with 6:00 PM ticket

Palm Trees on Third Street directed by Maria Judice (USA, 2007, 19 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Half-sisters, Nikki and Winter, meet for the first time among the palm trees in San Francisco. Winter helps Nikki search for a father she's never met. The journey takes a turn as they abandon the search for their father and develop a relationship of their own.

Around the Way directed by Ruby Flores (USA, 2008, 11 min, Narrative/Fiction)
A slice-of-life tale about a girl, a lovestruck boy, a very special Filipino dish and how they all come together on a summer day in Jamaica, Queens.

A Summer Rain directed by Ela Thier (USA, 2008, 17 min, Narrative/Fiction)
When an 11-year-old Israeli girl immigrates to the US, she expresses her humorous and innocent interpretations of American culture in the letter she writes back home to her best friend. As she navigates culture shock, homesickness, and the beginnings of puberty, she finds solace with a Vietnamese girl who shares in her experience.

9th Street Independent Film Center
145 9th Street, San Francisco

(510) 235-0709
ninthstreet.org | Map | FREE ADMISSION

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - 5:00 PM

Reception

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - 5:30 PM | Making Herstory: Young Women in the Director's Chair

FREE!

& All That Jazz directed by Marie Benedetto, Allyson Laquian, Ida VSW Red, Erika Sokolower-Shain (USA, 2008, 6 min)
Two urban lesbians, one young, one old - find themselves in competition for scarce housing. Their generational styles, needs, and approaches clash, but there is a hint of common ground in search for home, community & all that jazz.

Generation Consolidation directed by Brooke Noel and Sami Muilenburg (USA, 2008, 12 min, Documentary)
A documentary exploring the impact of media consolidation on news content and how this affects youth, both as viewers and media makers.

Sound Affects directed by Fifer Garbesi (USA, 2008, 2 min)
What happens when you wake up one morning to discover all the sounds in your life have been scrambled?

Still Life directed by Michaela Creedon (USA, 2008, 2 min)
A multi-layered short that shows us the view of the city through the eyes of a young artist as she transitions through on public transportation.

Klaira's Story, Part I of As Old as Our Eyes directed by Klaira Markenzon (USA, 2004, 13 min)
Klaira lives in that foggy middle space between Old and New World. This Ukrainian-Jewish Teenager immigrated to San Francisco as a young child with her extended family. Now on the brink of adulthood, she interviews her grandparents about their new American lives, yearning to see her adopted world through older generations' eyes. Klaira understands that life in the United States has changed her profoundly.

Thicker Than Water directed by Camille Kolodziejski and Sami Kubo(USA, 2008, 16 min)
Abby is going through something that will transform her life forever. Can she keep her identity and be happy in a harshly judgmental society?

Filmmaker Q&A

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - 6:30 PM

Networking Reception

Included with 8:00 PM ticket

Plus Special Live Performance by Lit by Lightning

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - 8:00 PM | Local Spotlight: Film and Tribute Award

$15 Advance, $20 Door

Maria Desaparecida/Missing Maria directed by Bethynia Cárdenas Íñiguez (USA, 2007, 11 min, Narrative/Fiction
Based on the mysterious disappearances and tragic murders of hundreds of girls and women in Juarez, Mexico, Maria desaparecida examines the grief of one family as they attempt to make sense of the senseless.

Senorita Extraviada/Missing Young Woman directed by Lourdes Portillo (USA, 2001,74 min, Documentary)
Senorita Extraviada/Missing Young Woman tells the haunting story of the more than 350 kidnapped, raped and murdered women of Juarez, Mexico. Visually poetic, yet unflinching in its gaze, this compelling investigation unravels the layers of complicity that has allowed for the brutal murders of women living along the Mexico-U.S. border. In the midst of Juarez's international mystique and high profile job market, there exists a murky history of grossly under-reported human rights abuses and violence against women. The climate of violence and impunity continues to grow, and the murders of women continue to this day. Relying on what Portillo comes to see as the most reliable of sources the testimonies of the families of the victims. The film documents a two-year search for the truth in the underbelly of the new global economy.

Filmmaker Q&A with Lourdes Portillo and Tribute Award Presentation

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - 10:15 PM | Short Film Showcase

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Discovering Composition in Art directed by Heidi Phillips (Canada, 2008, 2 min, Experimental)
Discovering Composition in Art uses found footage as source material for various darkroom experiments. These failed attempts to capture "good composition" race before viewers' eyes like flashing lights. "By using some of these guides we can create exciting art from the world around us."

Bottled directed by Jian Lee (USA, 2007, 4 min, Animation)
'Bottled' is about two people living in glass bottles. The bottles are located in an artist's studio and the characters are the creations of the artist. The hand, the artist, creates another male character for the woman to save her from loneliness.

Resta directed by Anna Bucchetti (Netherlands/Italy, 2008, 24 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Elena’s mental illnes dominates the lives of her husband and children, whose fears increasingly worsen as she goes missing every night.

Mofetas directed by Ines Enciso (Spain, 2007, 10 min, Narrative/Fiction)
In Tangiers, two boys hide inside the undercarriage of a truck, in order to smuggle themselves across the border. We see their joyful fantasies of getting a car, an education, and fame as such as a soccer player. In this beautifully surreal and yet down-to-earth short, the comical delight such of such dreams is interrupted when one of the stowaways is dragged away by police. But he cheers his friend on - as the truck leaves for a better world.

Dandelion Dharma directed by Veronica DiPippo (USA, 2008, 26 min, Narrative/Fiction)
A magical tale of love, loss and letting go, we first meet Trudy, a distraught 20-something determined to rid herself of the final dredges of a failed romance. Brokenhearted, she stands in the community garden plot she shared with her fiance, once a reflection of their vibrant love for each other, now a barren weed-filled piece of land. Suddenly, Trudy is interrupted by three mysterious women who appear on the garden path; reluctantly she listens as the eccentric women eventually befriend and ultimately beguile her with their stories. The three women surprise her with their power of persuasion, as they become intimate sharing laced brownies and shots of vodka, as well as stories of failed romance and their own "Mr. Wrong." Savoring every detail of their touching and humorous accounts, Trudy continues to fall under the spell of these quirky wise women. Following their tales of love, where "beginnings" come from endings, endings from beginnings," Trudy's perception of life, love and reality changes, as she unexpectedly uncovers new meaning to "letting go."

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 11:00 AM

$15 Advance, $20 Door

Producing with Passion: Making Films That Change the World by Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle
In Conversation with Dorothy Fadiman (Book discussion/workshop with filmmaker and Author)
Producing with Passion is about applying your entire being to making a difference with your life and your life's work. It's about building a community where people collaborate and share resources to turn a vision into reality. A team of individuals who share a common vision, working together, can create media miracles. The path for Dorothy has been filmmaking, but the principles can be applied to any creative effort. In this workshop and book discussion, you will learn how to sustain your intention throughout the production process, to build confidence in your ability to complete your piece, and you will develop tools for launching the final production. You will learn how to stay focused on your vision through challenges of going from idea to final product. Drawing from thirty years of experience in filmmaking, Fadiman shows how building community with a supportive team as you work is essential to turning your vision into reality that will inspire others. The workshop/book discussion combines Fadiman sharing her knowledge of three decades of producing independent media; screening of selections from her gallery of films; and an opportunity for each attendee to examine and move forward with a personal project.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 12:15 PM

Reception

Included with 11:00 AM ticket

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 2:00 PM | Indie Spotlight: Feature Presentation

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Baiana directed by Mariya Prokopenko (Canada, 2008, 6 min, Dance/Performance/Narrative/Fiction)
This film is an opportunity for me as an artist to combine all the non-verbal components and bring the story to the viewer by means of image and sound. The originality of this project lies in combination of influences by classic filmmakers such as Norman McLaren and Carlos Saura and unconventional approach of photographing dance not as a stand-alone piece of but as a component of Kaleidoscope images (from the director's statement).

Who is Paco Gomes? directed by Skye Christensen (USA, 2009, 6 min, Dance/Performance/Documentary)
Paco Gomes, a dance/choreographer originally from Brazil, brings his life extensive experience in dance and music to San Francisco, California. Paco Gomes fuses western modern dance with his deeply entrenched Brazilian roots to create multi-cultural, multi-faceted dance. Life and art are inextricably tied, as Paco straddles two cultures, uniquely expressing his diverse experiences through choreography. The work-in-progress documentary follows Paco's San Francisco based dance company to Paco's homeland Bahia, Brazil, where connections are made with local artists, children and the people of Bahia.

The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang directed by Stacie Hawkins (USA, 2007, 89 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Over the years Dee Miller has come to be known as Miss Thang, the hottest dancer in Chicago's club scene. A former tap dancing prodigy. Dee now lives off her mother and occasionally braids hair in her mother's salon for spending money. She continually ignores every-one's plea for her to grow up and become a responsible adult. Dee is confronted with reality when her mother's gambling habit puts everything that they hold dear in jeopardy. She must now find a way to salvage their family finances, as well as her relationship with her mother. Dee's only comfort in these trying times is a new friend who re-introduces her to the world of tap dancing, an art form that has always been close to her heart.

Variety Screening Room
582 Market Street, at 2nd Street, San Francisco
(In the Hobart Building)
(415) 781-3894
varietync.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 2:00 PM | Indie Spotlight: Feature Narrative

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Climate Change directed by Soumyaa Kapil (USA, 2008, 10 min, Narrative/Fiction)
A couple struggles to find a way for their relationship to compromise a very concrete reality: a baby. Their unspoken frustrations eventually manifest in a row.

Oysters Without a Shell directed by Jette Miller (Germany, 2008, 86 min, Narrative/Fiction)
For Jules and Mia, time seems to be standing still. Again and again they are trying to reinvent themselves and escape the still image, which keeps them hostage. But as soon as they dive into denial and seem to get hold of a glimpse of intimacy, reality catches up with them and throws them back into their self imposed struggle. "Oysters Without a Shell" is the semi-fictional portrait of two women, their dreams and fears, their dysfunctional generation, and Berlin, the city they live in, and that has, just like them, not found its identity yet.

LGBT Center in Rainbow Room
1800 Market Street, San Francisco
(415) 865-5555
sfcenter.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 2:00 PM | Shorts Program: GIRLS LIKE IT

$10 Advance

Worst Case Scenario/Femme Edition directed by Mary Guzman (USA, 2008, 5 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Lipstick ladies get a lesson in love in this self-help spoof.

Rock the Like directed by Gina Mainwal (USA, 2007, 3 min, Music Video)
Hip-Hop and hot dykes..we like!

Lezbro: Don't Cha Know directed by Melinda Bagetelos and Dara Sklar (USA, 2008, 10 min, Music Video)
Reveals the unique friendship between guys and dykes in a sassy mix of faux anthropology, reality and techno-pop music video.

Your Turn directed by Sarah Grimmer (Australia, 2008, 5 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Two women pass the time playing online video checkers with each other on a regular basis. On this particular night, one of them has a surprise for the other.

Happy Birthday directed by Roberta Marie Munroe (USA, 2008, 14 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Hannah wants a baby. Abigail wants a dildo. Jack and Madeleine like things just the way they are.

Son of a Preacher directed by Jasmine Gervais (Canada, 2008, 6 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Billy, the son of the town's preacher, secretly falls for a mysterious and pretty new parishoner. Unfortunately, she's thinking about someone else.

Tanz ins Glueck directed by Barbara Seiler (Switzerland, 2008, 16 min, Narrative/Fiction)
Anna is working as a cleaning lady. Every night she cleans Helen's office. Helen is a high level broker working in the stock exchange. The two women live in different worlds and normally would never meet each other. However they happen to have enrolled on the same salsa course. Due to the lack of men, Anna and Helen have to dance together. A lesbian fairytale depicting the possibility of overcoming social borders.

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 5:00 PM | Queer Women of Color Shorts and Documentary

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Look Again directed by Jennifer Lin (USA, 2008, 7 min, Narrative/Fiction)
June and Kelly are a bi-national couple struggling to stay together when Kelly's works visa runs out. Unable to marry or sponsor her lover for permanent residency and with no more time left, June risks everything to prevent Kelly's deportation that changes both their lives forever.

Jagadamba: Mother of Universe directed by Amber Field (USA, 2008, 10 min, Documentary)
A tender documentary about a queer transnational adoptee's healing journey through breath, sound, and music. The short film traces Amber Field's transformation through her encounter with world music and finding her own voice, and includes interviews, performance footage, photos of her childhood, and nature scenes.

In Sickness and In Health directed by Pilar Prassas (USA, 2007, 56 min, Documentary)
In 2002, filmmaker Pilar Prassas began following seven couples in their effort to legalize same-sex marriage in the state of New Jersey. Two years into filming, however, plaintiff Marilyn Maneely, mother of five, was diagnosed with the incurable, terminal disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. On the day Marilyn passed away, her life partner of 14 years, Diane Marini, was not even allowed to sign her death certificate. In traditional marriage vows, "till death do us part" is the phrase that follows "in sickness and in health," but to many gay and lesbian Americans, saying these words and enjoying their subsequent rights is not an option. With a tender touch, Prassas delicately balances tragedy and triumph in this film about the civil rights issues of our time - the fight to marry, and care for, the ones we love, in sickness and in health.

SF Women's Building, main auditorium
3543 18th Street #8, San Francisco
(415) 431-1180
womensbuilding.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 8:00 PM

Reception

Included with 9:00 PM ticket

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 - 9:00 PM | Let Women Lead: Iron Ladies of Liberia

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Notebook directed by Evelien Lohbeck (Netherlands, 2008, 5 min, Animation/Fiction/Experimental)
Animator, Evelien Lohbeck, takes us on a whimsical hand-drawn journey from sketchbook, notebook to Youtube.

Amma directed by Aparna Kapur (India, 2008, 6 min, Animation)
The poetic narration of a young girl's life explores her deep symbiotic relationship with her grandmother and how their love for one another surpasses this physical world.

Iron Ladies of Liberia directed by Siatta Scott Johnson and Daniel Junge (Liberia/USA, 2007, 77 min, Documentary)
After nearly two decades of brutal civil war, Liberia is a nation ready for change. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated as the country's first elected female president and Africa's first freely elected female head of state. Despite massive support in Liberia and abroad, Johnson Sirleaf must not only find ways to reform a corrupt authoritarian government saddled with astronomical debts, but must also confront opponents loyal to former President Charles Taylor-all without alienating her voter base. Since taking office, Johnson Sirleaf has appointed an unprecedented number of women of leadership positions in all areas of the Liberian government. Highlighting the challenges of African countries currently face, this film provides an uplifting example of women who have become the backbone of change. As filmmakers explore a historic transition from authoritarianism to democracy, the viewer is treated to a joyous, inspirational testimony of the political power of women's leadership and diplomacy.

Brava Theatre
2781 24th Street, San Francisco
(415) 641-7657
brava.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 11:00 AM

$10 Advance, $15 Door

How NOT To Make a Short Film: Secrets From a Sundance Programmer In Conversation with Roberta Marie Munroe (Discussion/Workshop with filmmaker and Author)
Join us, As Roberta Marie Munroe, dispels the mystery of making short films and guides us through the madness of production for both narrative and documentary, from funding and casting to festival and distribution strategy. She should know. After fifteen years of watching 15,000 short films and making her own award-winning short films, Munroe has a keen insider's take on production and the business of short filmmaking.

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 12:15 PM

Reception

Included with 11:00 AM ticket

Brava Theatre
2781 24th Street, San Francisco
(415) 641-7657
brava.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 2:00 PM | Documentary and Activsm

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Shorn directed by Tomiko Jones (USA, 2008, 5 min, Experimental/Documentary)
A woman transforms by shearing her luscious locks.

Profile directed by Sharon Katz (Canada, 2008, 5 min, Animation)
In an animated short film about surveillance and disposable identities as a woman is profiled by a behavior detection device searching for otherness. PROFILE looks at how we are forced to use masks in order to protect ourselves from madnesses built into our society.

Down and Derby directed by Sarah Boothroyd (Canada, 2008, 5 min, Documentary)
Fishnet stockings, tattoos and roller skates: a short profile of Ottawa's roller derby queen.

The Gits directed by Kerri O'Kane (USA, 2007, 70 min, Documentary)
The Gits chronicles the tragic story of one of the most influential bands to emerge from the Seattle music underground. With an innovative sound that coupled hardcore punk with heartfelt blues, the Gits were poised to break into mainstream, but they could never achieve the success of contemporaries Nirvana or Pearl Jam because of July 7, 1993 singer Mia Zapata was found murdered - apparent victim of rape/homicide. It was a crime unsolved when director Kerri O'Kane began shooting her debut feature. In the interim, however, fans, friends and celebrities like Joan Jett and Nirvana helped raise money to reopen what had become a cold case file. Mia's death had reverberated throughout the music community, and unprecedentedly Mia's killer was brought to justice as the cameras rolled.

Variety Screening Room
582 Market Street, at 2nd Street, San Francisco
(In the Hobart Building)
(415) 781-3894
varietync.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 2:00 PM | Vital Voices: Women in Resistance

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Absent Spaces directed by Laila Hotait (Lebanon/Spain, 2008, 7 min, Narrative/Fiction)
During continuous attacks in the summer of 2006, a young Lebanese artist receives a phone call that makes her want to protect her personal space and her project from outside threats.

Sanctuary directed by Lovejit Dhaliwal (UK, 2008, 4 min, Animation/Documentary)
Sanctuary is the true story of one woman, Marjorie, who tries to seek asylum in the UK. Speaking of her experiences in her own words, this film illustrates the journey she goes through - her inward journey as she confronts the affects of her torture and her outward journey as she struggles for asylum.

Through Negev directed by Ya-Hsuan Huang (USA/Israel, 2007, 18 min, Documentary)
Through Negev compiles stories from Sudanese women refugees who found temporary oasis at an Israeli women's shelter. Told through interwoven first-person accounts by the few women and children who have made the journey by walking from Egypt to Israel, Through Negev is a short documentary that encapsulates the refugees' struggle for home and safety.

6 Yards to Democracy directed by Nishtha Jain and Smriti Nevatia (India, 2006, 55 min, Documentary)
6 Yards to Democracy revisits a gruesome incident that took place during an election rally in north India. Thousands of women from poor localities of Lucknow city, lured by the promise of free saris, had been waiting for hours in the harsh sun for the cheap six-yard cloths. A stampede occurred: 22 died and hundreds were injured. This seemingly stray happening uncovers the sordid side of Indian democracy, and connects in significant ways with the daily humiliations forced upon these women and their families. As boomtown dynamics keep pushing them further into the margins, we observe women's struggles to keep their homes, hopes and dignity intact while petitioning an apathetic state of their dues.

Brava Theatre
2781 24th Street, San Francisco
(415) 641-7657
brava.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 5:00 PM | Film, Love and Desire

$10 Advance, $12 Door

Filming Desire: A Journey Through Women's Film directed by Marie Mandy (France, 2000, 60 min, Documentary)
"In this bold documentary Marie Mandy asks the question: how do women directors film love, desire, and, especially, sexuality? In rare interviews with many of the leading women directors working in the world today - including Sally Potter, Agnes Varda, Catherine Breillat, Doris Dorrie, Deepa Mehta, Moufida Tiatli, Safi Faye, and Jane Campion - FILMING DESIRE: A JOURNEY THROUGH WOMEN'S CINEMA directly engages the sexual politics of cinematographic choice. Powerfully illustrated in film clips from their own work, the directors discuss the reality of an explicit women's point of view, the possibility of a women's cinematic language, and the desire in their films to 'fantasize and dream a new image of themselves'. While discussing how their depictions of sexuality and relationships are correctives, they also reflect on the sexual differences in selection of image, shot, and story.

Brava Theatre
2781 24th Street, San Francisco
(415) 641-7657
brava.org | Map | Purchase tickets!

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 7:00 PM

Reception sponsored by Barefoot Bubbly

Included with 8:00 PM ticket

SUNDAY, APRIL 5 - 8:00 PM | Herstory: Isabel Allende

$20 Advance, $25 Door

Worth directed by Kathi Carey (USA, 2008, 8 min, Narrative/Fiction)
When a non-descript violin shows up at an upscale auction it seems wildly out of place. But who decides what something or someone is really worth? The answer may surprise you.

Soledad Is Gone Forever directed by Mabel Valdiviezo (USA, 2006, 14 min, Narrative/Fiction)
A psychological drama that explores the chilling consequences of political persecution through the eyes of Soledad Gonzalez, a young Chilean photographer living in San Francisco.

Isabel Allende directed by Paula Rodriguez Sickert (Germany, 2007/2008, 58 min, Documentary)
Award-winning best selling novelist Isabel Allende has inherited her uncle's name and with it a legacy of troubled Chilean history. The world-famous Chilean author reveals her passionate engagement with life and politics. Born in Peru in 1942 and raised in her grandparent's house in Chile, she started her career as a journalist. After the Chilean army overthrew her uncle Salvador Allende's government, she spent thirteen years in political exile in Venezuela before love finally brought her to live in the United States. Isabel Allende manages to transform her passionate and painful life into literature, exorcising her experiences onto the page. What emerges is a portrait of a remarkable woman who not only emerged out of history but helped shape it directly.