Inspired by her latest film, IFFR invited Beth B to curate a selection of films that tie in with the ideas behind her portrait of Lydia Lunch. Beth B decided upon a combination of earlier work by herself and films by predecessors and contemporaries.
The intention behind this cluster of films thus moves far beyond an evocation of the early 1980s No Wave scene in New York. Beth B’s focus is on female filmmakers and even more importantly, on the emancipation of women. As she firmly states with the title of her latest film: the war is never over. The films in her selection range from a 1918 silent film that already prefigures the Harvey Weinstein case, to the contemporary outrage of a Japanese all-girl band. Besides such classic titles as Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames, the programme also contains some recently rediscovered gems like Melvie Arslanian’s emblematic Stiletto from 1981.
With overarching themes of submission, power and manipulation, the films look at the conflicts inherent within the assumed and enforced roles of women defined by societal norms. A lack of evolution can be viewed through the contextual lens of beauty, domesticity and sexuality. Concepts of gender conformity are flipped through the examination of taboos, fears and the degradation inflicted upon women’s bodies. There is a search for identity that erupts in a violent rage and the ultimate need for reinvention. Recurring throughout is the concern for women owning their bodies, owning their voices.
Moderated by IFFR programme advisor and North America scout Ralph McKay. In the presence of Beth B and Lydia Lunch.
