This March, I celebrated Women’s History Month by watching a movie written and directed by a woman- or multiple women- every day of the month. The movies I watched ranged across many genres, but I found that these select movies really hit home for me.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
Written and directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open follows Áila and Rosie, two Indigenous women who meet when Áila offers Rosie shelter after seeing her in a fight with her boyfriend. At Áila’s apartment, Rosie reveals that she is pregnant and living with her abusive boyfriend and his mother. The course of the movie plays out over that day as Áila tries to get Rosie to a safe house for abused women. Ultimately, the movie ends with Rosie leaving the safe house that same day and Áila is left wondering what will happen to Rosie.
I think this movie beautifully showcased the connection between two strangers and how hard women will work to help each other in times of need. On the reverse of that, I think this is a great piece to offer commentary on the effects of abuse and how even when support is offered, it’s hard to break out of a familiar cycle- although it is a dangerous one.
Lingua Franca
Written and directed by Isabel Sandoval, Lingua Franca is centered around Olivia, an undocumented Filipina trans woman who works as a caretaker for Olga, an elderly Jewish woman in the early stages of dementia. Olivia works to send money to her family and to obtain a green card, harboring a fear of being deported. She confides in Alex, Olga’s newly sober grandson about her undocumented status and the two enter a romantic relationship wherein Alex offers her a green card marriage. The ending of the movie is ambiguous, but it seems as though Olivia and Alex haven’t gotten married; however, Olivia does tell her mother she has a new job and is seeing someone new.
The movie depicts the uncertainty of life for many like Olivia, whose emotional weight throughout the film was powerful. Overall, this movie felt like an emotional statement on the anxieties of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. during the time of the Trump administration and the fear they felt watching daily news of raids and deportations.
Judy and Punch
Written and directed by Mirrah Foulkes, Judy and Punch is a period piece that revolves around a family of puppeteers. Judy and Punch put on public puppet shows, and while she wins over crowds, her husband falls deeper into his alcoholism. While drunk and chasing a dog, he accidentally kills the couple’s baby; when Judy confronts him, he beats her and leaves her in the forest to die. Judy is taken in by a group of outcasts who live in the forest and swear vengeance against Punch, culminating in her cutting off his hands, taking back her house, and leaving Punch in an asylum.
This movie had me from the moment it turned on. I loved the story and the suspense, debating if Punch would be caught by the police in the suspecting killing of his wife, or if Judy would have her revenge first. I think the movie really illustrated women carving out a place for themselves in society against those who have outcasted them.
Foxfire
Directed by Annette Haywood-Carter with the screenplay by Elizabeth White, Foxfire centers around a group of girls in the 1990s who form a gang to protect themselves from the men they know. The movie is based on the book Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang by Joyce Carol Oates which is set in the 1950s. Foxfire, the movie, follows the core group of women including Legs, a new girl who meets Maddie, Rita, Violet, and Goldie as they deal with abusive men and drug addiction together.
I really loved this book when I read it and found out about the movie later. After watching it, I think that it strengthens the notion that while each girl is living a complex life outside the group, they will still fight for the others.
Overall, the core theme of these movies is the resilience of women. All of them showcase the complexity of life and the interconnectedness of women no matter what their struggle is. These movies call for women to remember to lift up other women, as well as themselves.