It was a great festival for documentaries this year at MIFF. including some terrific films about strong women. First one I saw was Free Angela And All Political Prisoners. As her friend remarks, It was Angela who insisted on adding ‘and all political prisoners’ to the campaign slogan to free her when she was imprisoned in the 1970s. I remembered the campaign, and the image of Angela herself with her famous Afro hairstyle, but I was hazy on the details. The film provides it all and whilst basically telling a linear narrative manages to inject quite a lot of tension into the story. We get Angela’s middle class, apolitical background, her academic success, being head-hunted to teach philosophy at UCLA and then being caught up in the radical black activist movement. She gets sacked from UCLA. Freedom of speech becomes an issue. Governor Reagan makes an appearance. Angela is suddenly speaking at rallies rather than in lecture halls. Academic freedom, black rights – the causes commingle. Angela is at the centre of it all, often there is a young black man by her side. Rousing speeches. So many people, so political. Violent times. Footage of the armed Black Panthers on the steps of the Californian legislature – They didn’t just want to be armed, they wanted White America to know they were armed says the voice-over. Later there is an armed shoot-out at the Panthers headquarters. Deaths and demonstrations. The young friend of Angela’s is killed during an ill planned and executed hostage taking. Using guns registered in Angela’s name. She’s on the run. The whole of America is looking for her. She’s caught and imprisoned. There’s a trial. And a world-wide campaign to free Angela Davis … and all political prisoners. Unimaginable it occurring today. Rallies of thousands of people. Back in the US, court-room tactics. Interviews with most of the players. Activists. Lawyers. Sister. Angela. She’s aged well. Trial result. Then a whirlwind international tour to thank supporters. All great. A nice finishing touch – the Nixon tapes recording his frustration at the court’s verdict.
Here’s the trailer.
The Williams’ sisters are also two feisty women. Their story, so far, is told in Venus and Serena. They both come across as articulate and poised young women. An extraordinary story. From one of the roughest areas in Los Angeles to fame and fortune via the tennis court. Two formal interviews, separately with each sister is interspersed with footage of them practicing, playing, in after match interviews, in the gym, jogging, practicing, playing ….. we see them as little girls, aged around nine or ten, being coached by their father. He started when Venus was four, from a tennis manual. Does talent come into this or was it all plain, hard work. Apparently when Venus saw the film the only bits she liked were the interviews of her young self and shots of her victories. Serena hasn’t watched it yet. They are such strong women. Prepared to be themselves and stand up for each other. With a strong sense of heritage, thanks in part to their mother. Both parents are in the film quite a bit. Both strong people who appear to have pushed the sisters hard, but at the same time been really supportive. Some interesting talking heads – Bill Clinton, Anna Wintour, John McInroe. You don’t get to where these two got to without hard work and the film shows the effort they put in. There’s a lot of Serena struggling back from injury – wow, does she work hard! I don’t think you need to be a tennis afficiando to appreciate this film. It’s about life really, and family, and doing the best you can. Strongly recommended. Here’s the trailer.
The young women who make up the Russian activist group Pussy Riot are really courageous. The film Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer starts with the group forming in 2011 through to the arrest and trial of three of them after they performed in the Moscow Russian Orthodox Cathedral in February 2012. We see rehearsals, various actions that involve them performing raucous music in odd places while unfurling posters with messages opposing sexism, the patriarchy, the power of the State, Putin. We see them making the brightly coloured knitted balaclavas that have become their singular image. They spend lots of time working out what their message should be. We see five women rehearsing for the Cathedral performance. All carefully choreographed. Good to see the rehearsal because they didn’t get to do much performing. They were hustled out very quickly. From there it focuses on the experience of the three who were caught. Footage of their police interviews – admitting nothing, giving no names. One of the three has a child – why aren’t you home looking after her? There are interviews with the fathers of two and the mother of the one with the baby. These give a picture of their backgrounds which are all different and all interesting. We follow the court process. There are demonstrations – in favour of Pussy Riot outside the court. Some humorous footage of protesters eluding security. And demonstrations in opposition organised by the church. Some very dodgy people in the latter. But some reasonable ones as well. The history and symbolism of the cathedral is described – demolished by the communists only relatively recently rebuilt and able to be freely used. In court the women are impatient to make their political statements and finally get to do so. They are all strong. So are their families though they also speak of strain and apprehension. Sentenced to two years in prison they remain defiant. Friends and family campaign to get them released. Putin speaks – he’s surprised they weren’t imprisoned for their earlier antics. One of which was to to approach police officers and kiss them. All very punk. But political punk! Messages of support come in. They have to decide what song to promote. Let it be Kill All The Sexists says someone. Madonna publicly supports them. There’s an appeal and an interesting, and simple argument, gets one out. The other two are still there. Brave women. See their film. Here’s
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