Sunday, November 8, 2009
Still image from
Black Like She by Patrice James
The Mercury Lounge was filled with warm bodies the night of Thursday, November 5 for some sexy celebration on celluloid. Ladyfest Ottawa teamed with Independent Filmmakers Cooperative of Ottawa (IFCO) to feature seven female filmmakers who made short works using Super 8mm film.
“We like Super 8,” explained IFCO executive director Patrice James. The distinctive texture of the film evokes old home movies with a stylish grainy look—a great fit for the DIY philosophy behind Ladyfest.
Called “Celebrating Sexuality,” the screeing came about through a chance meeting between James and Ladyfest's Simone Pfeiffer last spring. IFCO sent out an open call to its members and the first eight women to sign up were selected. In exchange for a small participation fee, filmmakers were set up with Super 8 film and equipment.
The resulting films offer a wide-ranging look at female sexuality, from the simple sensuality of Irina Lyubchenko's
Milk to the humourous take on a woman's orgasm in Tasha Waldron's
La Petite Mort.
“Corporeal and psychological dimensions of milk’s nature have been the subject of my creative investigation,” said Lyubchenko in a synopsis of her film. “Fluids and hands are involved in tactile experiences and progress towards the climax splash at the end of the film. Even though the hands belong to individuals of an opposite gender, the fact that you cannot fully differentiate one from another emphasizes the constructed nature of gender formations.”
Waldron, meanwhile, offered a much more straighforward synopsis for her film: “A woman’s brief journey into ECSTASY!”
Also contributing films were Patrice James, Pixie Cram, Ariel Smith, Kathleen McGrath, and Bridget Farr. Though the screening was a filmic version of a one-night stand, James is confident that many of the films will be screened again elsewhere.
Reporter's note: After the screening, I was the lucky winner of a door prize courtesy of Venus Envy. This being a family-friendly publication, I'll report only that the prize is purple in colour, made of latex, and battery operated.
Tony
