The 11th Annual International Women’s Film Festival examines women’s issues on local, national, and international levels. Co-chairs Rosemary Dziak, Professor of oral biology, and Margarita Vargas, Associate Professor of romance languages, of the University at Buffalo’s Gender Institute, help put on the annual film series. The series centers on works by women filmmakers or under-distributed, yet poignant, films centering on the female struggle.
Co-chair Margarita Vargas explains this year’s theme, “Crossings,” as “crossing international boundaries.” The six-week festival, showing Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Market Arcade Theater, spans the globe and features stories from Mexico, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Canada, Scotland, and the USA. None of the films were widely released in theaters, but many can be found nestled in the racks of Blockbuster. To gather up intriguing and thought-provoking films, Vargas and a committee from different backgrounds all submit suggestions. Because the group is so diverse, from professors and graduate students to members of the community; the films inevitably reflect that.
This past Thursday Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams, directed by Jasmila Zbanic, was screened as the second offering of the series. The film follows the struggle of a mother, Esma, and daughter, Sara, to find hope in the bleak war-torn state of Sarajevo. On the Gender Institute’s website (www.genderbuffalo.org), Zbanic describes the film as being about love that is “not pure, because it has been mixed with hate, disgust, trauma, despair.”
Imagine having your life torn apart by war. Imagine being ravaged daily, being forced to give yourself to heartless men who probably won’t even remember your face. Not only the buildings around you are destroyed, your emotions are scarred perpetually. It’s hard to fathom. When we actually try to sympathize with war-torn nations, we often dwell on how our own soldiers are holding up, or whatever scathing casualties made the papers that day. It is unlikely that the average U.S. citizen living a comfortable life would ever know about the reality of hardship, especially that of women involved with violence and unrest.
It accurately portrays the utter desolation felt by millions, especially the women. By touching on disturbing events experienced in Bosnia, like the fact Esma was kept as a sex-slave for soldiers during the war and raped daily at their disposal, the film allowed viewers to finally find a way to empathize. Rape is an atrocity that can happen to any woman in any nation, and Esma’s emotions match their hopelessness.
Following the film, a question and answer session was held. The audience fervidly questioned the speaker, Associate Director of The Gender Institute, Patricia Shelly, about how accurately the film portrayed the violence in Sarajevo. She spoke of the stark reality of mass graves constantly being dug up, forcing people to identify their family members’ gnarled bodies. Everyone was horrified about the prevalence of Red Camps, where women like Esma were held and used whenever soldiers needed them. Every week these sessions will allow the audience to further explore the films and share their opinions. During several sessions, directors of the films will be present to field questions.
So why should UB students spend their Thursdays watching groundbreaking films about women rather than frequenting their favorite bar? It is hard to pry a person away from their interests or busy schedules, but attending the series might prove to be more than just a pleasant evening.
Vargas stresses that the event is meant to give local female filmmakers a chance to showcase their talents. From her own teaching experience she reveals how little the public knows about female filmmakers. In one of her classes a male student commented he couldn’t think of any female directors aside from Sofia Coppola. She proudly remarked that throughout its duration, the series had showcased 60-70 films by women, including many local filmmakers.
Aside from promoting emerging filmmakers, dissipating stereotypes is another major goal of the series. By showing these films to an audience, Vargas says that it will “help them view what’s happening globally.” Female issues are not solely focused on in the films. They grant a glimpse into cultures and traditions of nations different than our own.
Susannah Bartlow, the graduate assistant of the Gender Institute, is very excited for the upcoming films in the series. This week’s film, Festival, has a “sarcastic, dry, and edgy feel,” and next week’s My Cultural Divide shows “a self-deprecating look at consumerism” from a man’s point of view. Because of the nature of the upcoming films, UB students may find something to relate to. Bartlow asserts they contain “perspectives on everything.”
The Gender Institute is an unsung heroine of the Buffalo community. Aside from putting on a mind-opening and entertaining film series, Vargas says they are always trying hard to “spread the scholarly work of women.” They provide grants and scholarships for women to promote academic advances. Crossings, the 11th Annual International Women’s Film Festival, is a wonderful opportunity for anyone, regardless of gender or race, to experience an enlightening perspective on what is going across the globe.
In the words of Esma, “I had already forgotten there was anything beautiful in this world.” Beauty found in utter desolation is only one of the powerful themes found woven into the films. By bringing controversial topics to the public, the film series prompts viewers to let go of their cushy lives for a while and open their eyes to life’s stark realities.
