(1976),
an inspiring and insightful exploration of the labor movement in the 1930s,
told through the eyes of three women who bravely fought for equal rights during
this period. Refined, ravishing, and rife with complexity, the ladies in this
collection serve to dispel the myth of the magical woman and present something
much more real — women who play, fight, and work, and look damn good doing it.
Date: Thursday, September 13th, 2012 at 8:00pm
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street San Francisco
Featuring:
Camp for
Boys & Girls: Jenni Olson Collection (B+W, 1950 & 1962)
The prison
system gets an especially hysterical treatment in these trailers about locked
up ladies in Caged and House of Women.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Color, 1981)
What’s a girl to do when confined by a life of boredom? Never
one to be content reading under a tree, Alice foregoes the stationary life and
embarks on a psychedelic adventure. Beautiful and dangerous, this fantasy world
may be more true to life than she realizes.
1970s
Breakfast Commercials (Color, 1970s)
One
fantasy follows another in this slate of commercials that enable even the
liberated woman to make her Joe happy with the perfect cup of joe. Not
convinced? Take it from Academy Award winning actress Patricia Neal, who
certainly seems to be “the boss in the house.”
Andean
Women (Color, 1974)
A woman’s
role in the domicile is questioned as the nexus of tradition and change come to
light amongst generations of Aymara Indian women. Shifting ideals and a desire
for change force the old and young to ponder their contributions as counterparts
in a male-dominated culture.
Bessie Smith: St Louis Blues (B+W, 1929)
She does so much for her good-for-nuthin’ honey, only to be swindled and abused time and again. Iconic Blues songstress Bessie Smith shows how to throw it down in the seedy settings of this unique short, featuring philandering, tap-dancing beau (renowned dancer Jimmy Mordecai) with a rare track sung by our tragic heroine.
She does so much for her good-for-nuthin’ honey, only to be swindled and abused time and again. Iconic Blues songstress Bessie Smith shows how to throw it down in the seedy settings of this unique short, featuring philandering, tap-dancing beau (renowned dancer Jimmy Mordecai) with a rare track sung by our tragic heroine.
The
Passion of Joan of Arc (B+W, 1928)
Tragedy is given new standards in this acclaimed classic featuring Renee Jeanne Falconetti. More than a simple martyr, Falconetti masterfully imbues in “Jean” the strength and faithfulness of the enduring historical figure. Paired with a contemporary track including Fiona Apple, Bat for Lashes, Dengue Fever, and more, this is a cinematic experience not to be missed.
Tragedy is given new standards in this acclaimed classic featuring Renee Jeanne Falconetti. More than a simple martyr, Falconetti masterfully imbues in “Jean” the strength and faithfulness of the enduring historical figure. Paired with a contemporary track including Fiona Apple, Bat for Lashes, Dengue Fever, and more, this is a cinematic experience not to be missed.
 |
| Chick Strand circa 1970 |
Underground
Film (Color, 1970)
If Jean
was reincarnated, she might look a bit like Chick Strand, one of the west
coast’s most influential experimental filmmakers, in this exploration into
‘underground’ film through the eyes of the artists.
Chinese
New Year: San Francisco Chinatown Rice Bowl Parade (Color, 1951)
Reconstituting
this rare collection of footage featuring celebrations in San Francisco’s
Chinatown, we listen to poetry by spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai’s and
her take on being Chinese in America over images of the dragon parade and
locals showing off their finest beaded dresses.
Union Maids (B+W, 1976)
Strength and courage are displayed in this compelling doc about the history of the 1930s women’s labor movement, told through the experiences of three workers who rapidly became rank-and-file activists, union organizers, and socialist leaders.
Christine Kwon is the Managing Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where she is a senior film curator. She is also the producer of feature-length documentary Breathin': The Eddy Zheng Story, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.
About Ladyfest
Ladyfests are annual, non-profit events organised mainly by womyn; they feature bands, musical and political groups, lecturers, spoken word and visual artists, workshops and discussion groups and are organised purely by volunteers. The events are focused mainly on encouraging the talent of womyn and girls, and some workshops are womyn-only, so as to make them feel more comfortable, however, main music events and films/art exhibits are open to everyone. Click here for more information and events.