Oddball Films and guest
curator Christine Kwon present Portrait of a Lady: The Fashionable Struggle. Gender studies students put your black-rimmed
glasses on for a night that explores the glory and plight of that most
mysterious of human subjects: a woman. The collection kicks off with Woman
Speaks (1940s), a rare and fascinating
series profiling pioneering ladies of the 1940s. In The Fur Coat Club (1973), two young rascals sneak into an upscale fur shop,
where they confront frightening illusions and thwart real-life thieves. And
none is more iconic of a young girl’s imagination then Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland (1981), a pedantic yet uncanny
animated retelling of the children’s classic. The centerpiece of the night
features a segment of Carl Dreyer’s acclaimed masterpiece The Passion of
Joan of Arc (1928), and rounds out with Union
Maids (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: Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 8:00pm
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or (415) 558-8117
Woman Speaks (1940s, B+W)
This diverse collection
documents the rise of women in the employment market, profiling professional
ice skaters, cheeky cartoonists, savvy business women and visionary female
fashion designers.
The Fur Coat Club (1973, Color)
Girls will be girls in this
playful if odd story about a pair of nine-year-olds who chase after old ladies
and pimps to stroke their soft fur coats. Luckily, their mischief is rewarded,
and the girls move onto something even more compelling: relationships.
Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland (1981, Color)
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.
The Passion of Joan of
Arc (1928, B+W)
You may not be Anna Karina,
but this classic by Danish auteur Carl Dreyer will certainly move you with its
masterful performance, by Renee Jeanne Falconetti, and stunning composition. A
cinematic experience not to be missed.
Union Maids (1976, B+W)
This
compelling doc unearths the vivacious 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.
Curator’s Biography
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 producing a feature-length documentary on community leader Eddy Zheng, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.
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 producing a feature-length documentary on community leader Eddy Zheng, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.