My year in three films

By Lani

So you all might be saying, “What have you been doing with your life since August, Lani?”
(Just kidding... none of you are saying that, but I am going to tell you anyways).

Well readers, I made it, I survived my junior year of college. It tried to kill me, but I survived with my 4.0 unscathed. Suck it school.

I also had my first boyfriend (!) and first break up ( :\ ). Wah wah. Over it.

Kind of... I really need to thank every guy I’ve dated for making me a stronger, more bitter feminist. I really do know how to pick ‘em, I swear.

I got dumped a week before Spring Break, and thankfully so, because I go to go to the Wisconsin Film Festival in Madison instead of spending another moment with that loser.

At the festival, I saw three films that solidified my feminist-y-ness. I managed to convince my parents to go to W.A.R!: Women Art Revolution. The film is fantastic and should be required reading for anyone who calls themselves a feminist. Seriously, make every effort to find a showing. Even months after seeing the film, I think about it often. The artists profiled (Judy Chicago, B. Ruby Rich, Arlene Raven, to drop a few) in the film are stuck in my consciousness and I stand of in awe of all that the “militant” feminists of the 1960s and 70s accomplished. They make me want to pick up the torch.

The second film I managed to see was a reprint of Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1955 film Le Amiche (The Girlfriends). It reminded me of the importance and power of female friendships. The film shows how female friendships can slip from healthy to toxic in the matter of moments. Clelia, the main character has to deal with the hyper-modern problem of career vs. romance. For a 50s movie, it is eons ahead of its time with topics like working women, suicide and abortion.

The third film a modern French comedy, Francois Ozon’s Potiche, staring ma reine, Catherine Deneuve. The film takes place in 1970s France, Deneuve plays a trophy wife to the owner of an umbrella factory. In true French style, the workers go on strike, leading them to take their conservative boss hostage. After being held hostage, the high-stress situation leads to a heart attack. Deneuve’s character steps in as the new manager while her husband is out, working with the unions to make labor conditions more fair for the factory workers. Clearly, you have the making of everything I ever wanted in a movie: unions, strong women, groovy suits, Austin Powers-esque humor and subtitles.

Needless to say, after it all, I was thoughtfully empowered. I said, I’m a lady, I can make movies, I can be funny, I can write. Then I said, OH WAIT, I’VE GOT A BLOG DEDICATED TO ALL OF THAT. That’s when I promised to resurrect Half the Audience.