The Vancouver International Women In Film Festival will be presenting the World Premiere of a feature from Argentina, The Rabbits’ House, directed by Valeria Selinger, a story which captures the extraordinary existence of a young girl living with activists during the country’s resistance movement in 1975. The film will be followed by a moderated discussion between the director, who will be in attendance, and local author/performer Carmen Aguirre. It will be presented for free on International Women’s Day, March 8th, during the 15th annual festival, organized by Women in Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV). The festival takes place from March 3 – 8, and celebrates the best of cinema created by women as well as offering film panels, seminars, special guests, artist talks, pitch sessions, a screenplay competition, receptions, and an awards gala.
Opening night presents Red Snow, directed by Marie Clements, the intriguing tale of a Gwich’in soldier from the Canadian Arctic who is caught in an ambush in Kandahar, Afghanistan. His capture and interrogation by a Taliban Commander releases a cache of memories connected to the love and death of his Inuit cousin and binds him closer to a Pashtun family as they escape across treacherous landscapes and through a blizzard that becomes their key to survival.
The Opening Night Gala features the launch of two singles from the Red Snow soundtrack, Dirt Walkers and We Are Still the People performed live by a band of Afghan and Canadian Indigenous musicians including: Mozhdah Jamalzadah, Wayne Lavallee, Marina Hasselberg, Jon Deck and Diga.
Unceded Chiefs, directed by Doreen Manuel, will have its Canadian premiere at the festival followed by a panel discussion with the director and special guests to further explore the issues raised in the film. It traces the historic activism of BC First Nations Leaders who in the late 1960’s unified in a battle against the Canadian government to reject Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s proposed 1969 White Paper Policy. The film demonstrates the dedication and determination of Indigenous community leaders who defended their human rights and protected the future of Indigenous people in Canada at a time when laws and government policies sought to destroy their very existence.
Other Canadian premieres are two films set in Taiwan:
Heavy Craving (Taiwan), directed by Pei-ju Hsieh
Ying-Juan’s passion for cooking and life seem to be fading away due to her over-aggressive diet. A story about accepting yourself, embracing joy, and not following other peoples’ rules.
Closing Time (Switzerland), directed by: Nicole Vögele
Capturing the buzzing city of Taipei as it closes for the night, the film is a cinematographic meditation of in-between moments and a search for the inexplicable when a human being is simply human.
As well as the Canadian premiere of a film from India:
Seeing (India), directed by Sumitra Bhave
Ramji, a humble iron-smith from a small village, has followed the tradition of going on a pilgrimage with thousands of other devotees. His world comes crashing down after his only son drowns in a flooding river. He falls into despair while his friends question their ability to truly empathize with him. But one rainy night, the seeming opposites of life and death collapse and dissolve into the oneness of being. Life offers Ramji a chance to make peace with his grief and re-connect with his community.
And four Canadian premiere documentaries:
Parkland Rising (USA), directed by: Cheryl Horner McDonough, who will be attending the festival.
High school students and family members united to become fierce leaders of a national movement following the shooting of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in 2018. With unparalleled access, this documentary goes behind the news headlines to share the personal stories of the students leading the movement, as well as the families of victims who are working together to create meaningful change, and engage in an epic battle of wills with the gun lobby.
Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War (USA), directed by: Kerry David, who will be attending the festival.
The sordid world of wildlife trafficking and poaching is orchestrated by ruthless crime syndicates raking in revenues well in excess of $20 billion. There’s a lens through which this crisis has yet to be examined; through the eyes of the dynamic women fighting silently on the frontlines. Filmmaker, Kerry David, and her dedicated crew, pursue a passion that takes them around the globe to meet an unlikely group of heroes who are rising up to do all they can to prevent and reverse these terrible offenses against our planet’s most vulnerable animals.
Lost Reactor (Germany), directed by Alexandra Westmeier
In an extraordinary tale of Russian hopes, dreams and perseverance the film captures the lives of three people living just outside of the Crimean Nuclear Power Plant. It was the most costly project in the Soviet history, yet was never active as the union collapsed just prior to its opening. The film follows the unusual lives of three individuals who helped build the reactor and have each separately made it their home.
Away From Meaning (Mexico), directed by Olivia Luengas, a special presentation with Good Pitch.
Liliana struggles with her borderline personality disorder, trying to be normal. When two of the best private mental institutions in Mexico close down, Liliana has to fight her crisis at home, supported by her parents and closest friends. A poetic and personal portrait which takes the management of mental health out of the shadows.
Screening at the festival are also:
A First Farewell (China), directed by Wang Lina
An outstanding debut feature, the film tells the story of three Uighur children and their families whose lives are changed by regulations demanding increased levels of Mandarin language-based teaching in schools.
Murmur (Canada), directed by Heather Young
Convicted of driving while impaired, Donna is ordered to perform community service at the local animal shelter. When an elderly dog is scheduled to be euthanized, Donna decides to take the dog home and quickly realizes his companionship can ease her loneliness. In a futile attempt to fill the emptiness she feels, Donna begins to take home more and more animals and she is soon in over her head.
Black Conflux (Canada), directed by Nicole Dorsey
The seemingly separate lives of an anxious, disillusioned teen girl and a troubled, alienated man converge fatefully in this haunting exploration of womanhood, isolation, and toxic masculinity, set in 1980s Newfoundland.
Be Natural (USA) Directed by: Pamela B. Green
Narrated by Jodie Foster, this documentary is a portrait of Alice Guy-Blaché, who began making films in 1894 at the age of 21 and had an illustrious career in France and the US directing over 1000 films. But in 1919, her career came to an end and she faded from the history of film. This film is both a tribute and a detective story of this extraordinary artist offering a path toward her reclamation.
Take Me Somewhere Nice (Netherlands), directed by Ena Sendijarević
An unpredictable road trip through the scorching Bosnian heartland, the film follows Alma who leaves her mother’s home in the Netherlands to find the father she has never met. Travelling with her unfriendly cousin who mocks her easy life in the West, she discovers an undeniable sexual chemistry with his best friend. As the obstacles mount, Alma becomes fearlessly determined to find her father. She just has to figure herself out first.
Riot Girls (Canada), directed by Jovanka Vuckovic, a special presentation with WIFTV’s From Our Dark Side program.
In an alternate 1995, a mysterious disease has wiped out all of the adults. In this new age, two gangs are pitted against each other in a brutal war for territory, resources and survival.
And twenty six local, Canadian and International shorts!
More info at www.womeninfilm.ca or communications@womeninfilm.ca
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VIWFF is grateful for the support of: VIFF’s Vancity Theatre, Canadian Heritage, BC Arts Council, Telefilm, Creative BC, City of Vancouver, CMPA-BC, Capilano University, UBCP, CCE, CFM, Chandler Fogden Aldous, DGC BC, Georgia Straight, IATSE 891, ICG 669, Line 21, Matrix Production Services, Pacific Backlot, Ron Heaps, Ken Hayward, Sandman Hotel, TELUS, Sim International, Super Channel, Finale, ACFC.
