9th Annual Women of Color Film Festival

In its ninth year, the Women of Color Film Festival showcases a diverse array of innovative short films and videos from sisters of color. It celebrates the distinct perspectives of individuals who are united in giving voice to an underrepresented group.

The curators are proud to highlight women of color as filmmakers, not only in the directorial role, but also in less visible but equally crucial positions as writers, cinematographers, and producers.

From the power of media manipulation in the animated world of teenage girls in Oakland to the poignant reunion between a father and his daughters on the streets of Tokyo to the remarkable love between a married couple during the 1921 Tulsa race riots, each filmmaker delivers a universal yet deeply individual slice of life.

- Linda Charmaraman, curator

Sunday March 14

3:00 The Endurance of Spirit
This program offers visions of individuals, communities, and families withstanding calamity-portraits of strength, resilience, and resolution. In Remember (Proshat Shekarloo, 7 mins), a first-time filmmaker relates personal stories of abuse in her family. Stone Mansion (J. J. Goldberger, 14 mins), a narrative set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1921 race riot, explores the insurmountable integrity and courage of a black doctor and his wife. Lawan Jirasuradej's Mama Wahunzi (U.S./ Thailand, 2002, 57 mins, From Women Make Movies) profiles three disabled African women who learn to build and supply wheelchairs in Kenya and Uganda. When the Storm Came (Shilpi Gupta, 23.5 mins) documents the residual impact of an alleged mass rape on a community in Kashmir and exposes the frequent use of rape as a weapon of war. Total running time: 101 mins plus discussion

5:30 Truth Has a Perfect Memory
In these short works, women journey inward and outward in their quests for meaning and identity. In Moments in Love: the more you ignore me the closer I get (Donna Golden, 2001, 20 mins) the filmmaker experiments with the horror genre to demonstrate deep-seated cultural biases. In Donna Lee's Enter the Mullet (Canada, 5:30 mins, From Video Out), class, race, and queerness intersect in a farce about an infamous fashion statement. Aarin Burch's Reflections Unseen (26 mins) focuses on eight Bay Area African American women living with HIV to tell a transformative story of healing.

Also screening: Unruhe (2001, 5 mins) Elia Alba; Tokyo Equinox (Yuri Makino, 11 mins); Esme Seeking (Angela Cheng ,2002, 4 mins); All Water Has a Perfect Memory (Natalia Almada, 2001, 19 mins); Transplant (Alison Nicole Stewart, 2002, 10 mins). Total running time: 102 mins plus discussion

Filmmaker discussion will follow each screening.

Admission: $8 for one film, $4 UCB students, BAM/PFA members; $5 faculty/staff, non-ucb students, disabled, seniors (65+), youth (17 and under); $2 extra for all double bills.