Berlin Feminist Film Week 2019

Mark your calendars for the 6th edition of the Berlin Feminist Film Week 2019!

The Berlin Feminist Film Week is one of the main staples of the city’s feminism-focused events  - and it’s kicking off for its sixth edition this coming Thursday, March 7, 2019 (running through March, 13 2019)! Film Screenings, discussions, panels and workshops make for a comprehensive program that is diverse and inspiring for (female) filmmakers and cinema aficionados.   

The festival’s organizers want to explore “feminist topics through cinema, challenging patriarchal storytelling and putting forward characters that stand out from the hegemony of white cis-men.” Hence, they see their festival as a “platform for these characters, femtastic film-makers and the many cinema-goers who do not feel represented in mainstream cinema’s images.”

The festival will open with the screening of the short film RIOT NOT DIET (2018, Julia Fuhrmann) and coming-of-age feature The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018,  Desiree Akhavan). The winner of this year’s audience award as well as the recipient of the Berlin Activist + Feminist Film Fund will be announced on the last day of the BFFW, accompanied by the screening of the Chinese neo-noir thriller Angels Wear White.

All short and feature films are outstanding and worth a visit (full program here). However, I would like to point out four feature films, fiction and documentaries, that I am looking forward to watching.

The Artist and the Pervert (Beatrice Behn and René Gebhardt): This documentary about an unusual couple is hard to digest. He is a rich, white man, she is a respectable woman of Afro-Caribbean descent who willingly lives as his 24/7 slave. We recommend you read our interview with the filmmakers here and watch the film yourself!

In search… (Beryl Magoko & Jule Katinka Cramer): Female circumcision, or FGM/C for short, is still practiced in African (but also in Middle Eastern and Asian) societies today. As a young girl growing up in rural Kenya, Beryl was subjected to FGM/C. Years later she considers undergoing vaingal reconstructive surgery to give back what was taken from her. However, she is not sure if it’s the right decision. Click here to read more about FGM/C (from the World Health Organization).

Waru (Briar Grace-Smith, Casey Kaa, Ainsley Gardiner, Katie Wolfe, Renae Maihi, Chelsea Cohen, Paula Jones, Awanui Simich-Pene, Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu): The film was shot by eight female Māori directors that have each contributed a ten minute episode and plays in the Māori community. Since I am completely unfamiliar with this culture in general and its films in particular, I think Waru is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into their communities.

A Better Man (Attiya Khan & Lawrence Jackman): Director Attiya Khan confronts her former boyfriend who used to stalk her - capturing it all on camera. The documentary is a personal account on the issue of (domestic) violence against women and posing difficult questions that everyone has to ask themselves.  

Besides the many screenings, the BFFW program includes workshops like “How to shoot a Video Tutorial?” or a “Female Meme School,” as well as panels (including screenings) about feminist perspectives on (m)otherhood, climate and social justice and violence against women in media. If you are interested in attending any of those events (or if you want to buy tickets!) go directly to the BFFW’s website to sign up.

We will cover some of the screenings and panels, so stay tuned for new posts and information on our website and on Instagram!

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