Breaking through the cliché of Poly Styrene: An examination of Celeste Bell’s documentary on her mother
Punk, also called punk rock, is an aggressive form of rock music that coalesced into an international (though predominantly Anglo-American) movement in 1975–80. Often politicized and full of vital energy beneath a sarcastic, hostile facade, punk spread as an ideology and an aesthetic approach, becoming an archetype of teen rebellion and alienation. -Britannica The documentary […]
Katrine Weber reflects on motherhood in her short doc “A Morning, A Mother & A Boy”
I was fortunate to speak with Katrine Weber, a Denmark filmmaker, about her short documentary “A Morning, A Mother & A Boy”. The short is an everyday drama portraying one morning, in the life of a mother and her 4 year old son. We follow the mother and child through all the morning routines while […]
Jessica Liu’s film “Prom Time!” brings a Chinese immigrant mother to the forefront of a raunchy comedy
We are continuing our coverage of the Cinema Femme Showcase by featuring our interview with Jessica Liu about “Prom Time!” Synopsis: Judy overhears her teen daughters recount their dating experiences while getting ready on prom night. Judy accidentally drugs herself with Chinese herbal medicine spiraling her into a gaudy sexual fantasy with the class hunk. […]
Julia Hart reinvents 1970s thriller genre with a female lead in “I’m Your Woman”
I burned it all up, I burned it up until nothing was left, but the fire. And then in Eddie came with the baby. Jean, “I’m Your Woman” Attending Sundance 2016 was a trip on my bucket list that I never thought I’d take, and suddenly it seemed like it was my destiny. I was […]
Riveting thriller “Of Fish and Men” brings healing to Swiss filmmaker Stefanie Klemm
“Of Fish and Men” is a transformative film that is part thriller, part drama. In some cases, the film is not easy to watch with its traumatic moments, but there is so much beauty we see in the setting of the Swiss countryside. The basic plot is about a mother, Judith, and daughter, Milla, whose […]
Diane Paragas tells a timely and timeless story in her narrative feature debut “Yellow Rose”
“Yellow Rose” is the timely story of a Filipina teen from a small Texas town who fights to pursue her dreams as a country music performer while having to decide between staying with her family or leaving the only home she has known. I was fortunate to speak with the director of the film, Diane Paragas […]
Miss Juneteenth. A love letter to phenomenal women.
As I watched Nicole Beharie’s graceful and honest portrayal of this beautiful, overbearing and loving mother, I can’t help but think about my own. Enter Turquoise. Turquoise is beautiful, intelligent, nurturing, unapologetic. All heart. As a teen in small town Texas she had the honor of wearing the crown as Miss Juneteenth. A pageant that […]
Natalie Erika James infuses horror and a beautiful darkness in her female-led debut “Relic”
I love meeting and speaking with female filmmakers who bring a unique style to the screen, especially if it’s in a way that I’ve never seen before. Aussie based Natalie Erika James checks all of those boxes by bringing to the screen an infusion of horror, dark beauty, and female-centric stories. Before meeting her, I’ve […]
Australian filmmaker Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth” washes over you with exuberant music, love and beauty
At the end of “Babyteeth”, and this does not spoil the film at all, you are on a beach staring at the ocean waves. You’re on the beach rather than watching a beach scene from afar because you’ve gone through this incredible two-hour journey through the eyes of Milla [Eliza Scanlen]. Milla is a teenager […]
Sabrina Doyle shows the beauty of embracing change through ‘Lorelei’
Before we got into speaking about her film “Lorelei”, director Sabrina Doyle and I couldn’t help talking about the trying times we are in, and how difficult it is for everyone, regardless of their situation. After viewing “Lorelei”, I realized that this film is exactly what we need right now. The movie centers on a […]
Amanda Kernell’s love story in “Charter” explores the complexities of divorce
Last month at the Sundance film festival in Park City, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Amanda Kernell to talk about her beautifully haunting film “Charter”. Chatting with her over coffee (for me) and tea (for her), I loved how we got into the complexities of what it is to be a parent, […]