Brave Outsiders: The Films of Kim Longinotto
April 13, 2006 - April 15, 2006
Kim Longinotto's direct, compassionate documentaries take us into the often inaccessible worlds of girls and women who are standing up for their rights in the face of tradition. Divorce in Iran and Cameroon, sexual politics in Japan, and female circumcision in Kenya are among the topics she tackles, often collaborating with a codirector and employing mostly female crews. "I like making films about strong women, and particularly women who are brave outsiders; we seem to see them too rarely on our screens, and yet, wherever I go, I meet them," Longinotto avows. Her absorbing films are usually structured around several women's stories and depict young and old finding a voice, whether engaging in intimate discussions with other women about their lives or speaking publicly against customs that oppress them. While hopeful, and often humorous, Longinotto's films reveal that change comes slowly, with education, enforcement, and time. Her documentaries have long been PFA audience favorites; we are delighted to have this opportunity, as part of our ongoing Documentary Voices series, to present a selection ranging from her first film, on a British boarding school, to her most recent, detailing the judicial system in Cameroon, with Longinotto in person each evening.
Kathy Geritz
Thursday, April 13, 2006
7:00 p.m. Pride of Place
Kim Longinotto in Person. Revisiting the British boarding school of her youth, Longinotto's debut film exposes a world of bizarre rules, indigestible food, and absurd, unfair punishments.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
8:45 p.m. Dream Girls
Kim Longinotto in Person. A look inside Japan's Takarazuka Music School and Theater, a Vegas-style revue where all the men are played by women. With The Good Wife of Tokyo, a beautiful and funny study of the contradictions of family life for women in Japan.
Friday, April 14, 2006
7:00 p.m. Runaway
Kim Longinotto in Person. A center for young runaways in Tehran is the setting for this intensely moving, insightful, and troubling portrait of rebellious young women and the conditions under which they live.
Friday, April 14, 2006
9:15 p.m. Divorce Iranian Style
Kim Longinotto in Person. A look at Iranian marital life and strife through the stories of six women seeking the right to divorce. "A small, direct, tantalizing documentary."-Village Voice
Saturday, April 15, 2006
6:30 p.m. The Day I Will Never Forget
Kim Longinotto in Person. Longinotto's unblinking look at the practice of female circumcision in Kenya-why it continues after being outlawed, and the brave girls who defy their elders.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
8:50 p.m. Sisters in Law
Kim Longinotto in Person. Female judges and lawyers lay down the law in Longinotto's compelling and vital study of women navigating Cameroon's legal system. "These women are brave, fierce, and ultimately joyous in their support for each other."-Vancouver International Film Festival
Documentary Voices is made possible with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts. Thanks to Christie George at Women Make Movies for her assistance in making this residency possible.
