Even though the London Film Festival was last month, I can't stop thinking about the films I saw. Having selected my films carefully (bought tickets) and saw as many films as I could (as press) I did try and see films made by women. Putting a spotlight on three filmmakers I believe deserve a mention, with films that provoked conversation, positive and negative and all I admired for different reasons.
This story about two young women, daughters of opposing politicians, who fall in love was banned in it's home country Kenya. The ban now lifted so it can be shown in cinemas and be considered for an Oscar. Director Wanuri Kahiu sued Kenya's government in order for her film to be shown in cinemas, showing she wouldn't be pushed over or threatened.
From the brilliantly bold opening credits to the hopeful end, Kahiu's story about love that blossoms between Kena, who hopes to become a nurse and Kiki who wants to travel, is sweet and innocent. As the slowly bond as friends and gently fall in love through stolen kisses and nights out, they are never far from local gossips and the judgement of the people around them. They try and fight for their freedom but its at a cost.
Although the film was not chosen as Kenya's submission to the Oscars, 'Supa Modo' (which I absolutely loved) was chosen instead, the film was shown outside Kenya to audiences who praised the bold beautiful story. A story as tender as 'Rafiki' deserves to be seen.
Nadine Labaki's third feature film has been 5 years in the making. Years of research, 6 months of filming, Labaki has delivered as well as created a true masterpiece of a film about a young boy, living in poverty in Lebanon. Labki won the Jury Prize at Cannes where the film recieved a standing ovation. The film and Labaki also received a standing ovation at the London Film Festival on its opening night.
Labaki's film is about a young boy, Zain, born into poverty, working on the streets to help feed his large family. After his younger sister, is sold to a much older man for marriage, unable to save her, her leaves his home. He meets and befriends a young mother and illegal immagrant, taking care of her son, Yonas, while she is at work. But one day, after being arrested, the two boys are left to fend of for themselves. The poverty and injustice, as well as a frank speech Zain gives while in prison, calling into a news programme, he talks about those who suffer, including himself and makes the choice of suing his parents giving him life.
Working with non-actors, she found two of the most amazing and profound performances from a toddler and 12 year old boy. At the screening at the London Film Festival, she told us that Zain Al Rafeea who plays Zain, was now safe in Norway attending school for the first time and that Yonas, the baby boy was in fact a girl, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole. Their stories have turned out different but this doesn't change the harsh truths that Labaki has brought to the front of people's minds with her film. She said that she wanted to do something and that the only way she knew how was through film. As awards season creeps up on us, I know the stir the film has caused but what I hope it does is spur people into action. Although Labaki has created an amazing film, this feels more than just another story that has affected people, I hoping it does more.
As the final film I saw at LFF, it couldn't have been better. Inspired by real people and real events, writer and director Eva Husson bravely decided to write a fictional story about women fighting in war and its been take so far out of proportion. The reviews I've read have either been scathing or praise, there doesn't seem to be an inbetween. But Husson is made of much sterner stuff, as proved by the way she handled the Q & A after the screening at LFF. Her first 'questions' proved that the two people talking hadn't listened and one even tried shaming her into not actual knwoing what she was doing. But Husson had done her research and by her expression, she had had to deal with people like that before. Thankfully a third 'question' backed the film for what it stood for and she thanked Husson for the film.
Cutting between present day and flashbacks, a French journalist, coping with her own loss travels to the front lines of war in a Kurdish town with batallion of women freedom fighters. The fighters themselves have suffered under the Islamic State, their families murdered, used as sex slaves, they have escaped hell to fight for freedom.
The reviews and articles questioning the actions of Husson seem to focusing on the fact women are exploited and that it is somehow glorified. I saw a brave group of women fighting for survival and for each other. The fact the women bare resemblance to real life fighters is purposeful and not distasteful. Husson said that she had taken the film to villages, wanting to be respectful and has recieved positive reaction to the film. Maybe I'm missing the point of the film but I saw a film about women fighting in wartime and that's rarely seen on screen, why aren't we talking about that?