Films explore feminine perspectives at Seoul fest
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This year's Women's Film Festival in Seoul starts today at the Artreon Theater in Sinchon.
Now in its eighth year, the noncompetitive international festival has introduced audiences to films by female artists, many of which are characterized by frank sexuality, realistic portrayal of women and powerful dissident female voices.
With this year's programs focused mainly on the life of African women, a total of 97 films from 33 countries are scheduled to be screened under the theme of "Sailing through the Sea of Daily Life".
"Not all of our programs are as radical about feminist issues as you may think. There are also soft films dealing with general issues about women as well", Lim Sung-min, the head programmer of the festival, said in an interview.
The poster for the 8th Women`s Film Festival in Seoul
The festival is composed of eight main sections including New Currents, African Cinema, Feminist Documentary Pioneers, and Korean Cinema in Focus. For its "New Currents" section, 32 feature films will be showcased. Among them are recent works by such internationally renowned directors as Kim Longinotto, Doris Dorrie, Barbara Hammer, Chantal Akerman and Rakhshan Bani-Etemad. The festival will also come up with American and European feminist newsreels and documentaries of the 1950s and 1960s, through the new section titled "Feminist Documentary Pioneers".
This year's opening film is "Sisters in Law", a United Kingdom/Cameroon co-production directed by Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi, the screening of which will follow the opening ceremony to start at 6 p.m. The film, set in a Muslim village in Cameroon, is about a tough-minded state prosecutor and a judge who help women find the courage to fight against abuse.
The festival also includes a forum called "Cafe Femme (April 8, 9 and 11)", which will feature guest speakers such as popular Korean film actress Shim Hye-jin, female film director Lee Hye-ran and more. "Talk to Her", another discussion session, will also invite such renowned female directors as Doris Dorrie (April 9), Fanta Regina Nacro and Anne G. Mungai (April 10).
Other events include forums at Ewha Womans University in western Seoul on April 10, which will focus on the issues of women's reproductivity from the female point of view. "The festival is for everyone. We hope the event will help local moviegoers understand the feminine side of social issues better", Lim said.
The festival runs through April 14. The screening schedule is available through the festival's official website ( http://www.wffis.or.kr ). Tickets can be purchased via the internet or at the box office. For more information about the 8th Women's Film Festival in Seoul, call (02) 588-5355.
Now in its eighth year, the noncompetitive international festival has introduced audiences to films by female artists, many of which are characterized by frank sexuality, realistic portrayal of women and powerful dissident female voices.
With this year's programs focused mainly on the life of African women, a total of 97 films from 33 countries are scheduled to be screened under the theme of "Sailing through the Sea of Daily Life".
"Not all of our programs are as radical about feminist issues as you may think. There are also soft films dealing with general issues about women as well", Lim Sung-min, the head programmer of the festival, said in an interview.
The poster for the 8th Women`s Film Festival in Seoul
The festival is composed of eight main sections including New Currents, African Cinema, Feminist Documentary Pioneers, and Korean Cinema in Focus. For its "New Currents" section, 32 feature films will be showcased. Among them are recent works by such internationally renowned directors as Kim Longinotto, Doris Dorrie, Barbara Hammer, Chantal Akerman and Rakhshan Bani-Etemad. The festival will also come up with American and European feminist newsreels and documentaries of the 1950s and 1960s, through the new section titled "Feminist Documentary Pioneers".
This year's opening film is "Sisters in Law", a United Kingdom/Cameroon co-production directed by Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi, the screening of which will follow the opening ceremony to start at 6 p.m. The film, set in a Muslim village in Cameroon, is about a tough-minded state prosecutor and a judge who help women find the courage to fight against abuse.
The festival also includes a forum called "Cafe Femme (April 8, 9 and 11)", which will feature guest speakers such as popular Korean film actress Shim Hye-jin, female film director Lee Hye-ran and more. "Talk to Her", another discussion session, will also invite such renowned female directors as Doris Dorrie (April 9), Fanta Regina Nacro and Anne G. Mungai (April 10).
Other events include forums at Ewha Womans University in western Seoul on April 10, which will focus on the issues of women's reproductivity from the female point of view. "The festival is for everyone. We hope the event will help local moviegoers understand the feminine side of social issues better", Lim said.
The festival runs through April 14. The screening schedule is available through the festival's official website ( http://www.wffis.or.kr ). Tickets can be purchased via the internet or at the box office. For more information about the 8th Women's Film Festival in Seoul, call (02) 588-5355.
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