Angles: Women Working in Film and Video (1994)

(Luisina Brando), who imposes her will on the entire village, forcing them to remain silent on the subject. When the talented, engaging Charlotte becomes a young woman, an older man (Marcello Mastroianni) falls in love with her and they marry. But the independent Charlotte finds her protected life stifling and seeks her own destiny. Children at risk in a dangerous world were the focus of several films. The most stunning was Aline Issermann’s Shadow of Doubt/L’ombre du doute, an insightful exploration of incest. The resistance I had to seeing a movie about this disturbing topic soon gave way to admiration for the director, a passionate and innovative filmmaker. Issermann’s gripping story shows the confusion, terror and strength of a young French girl—in a remarkable performance by Sandrine Blancke — who accuses her father of sexual abuse. The thoughtful movie examines the psychological, sociological and pathological aspects of the case as it shows the dynamics that allow the abuse to occur, including the mother’s denial, the insensitivity of the authorities in dealing with the girl, the frustration of the social worker in bringing the truth to light, and the girl’s fear of testifying against her father. It is only when the youngster realizes her father is abusing her little brother that she is courageous enough to tell her story. Writer/director Issermann, driven by her desire to help sexual abuse victims, makes the point that in France, children in such cases are rarely believed by court authorities. She speaks for reform in this area. Her movie is imaginative and lyrical and in no way sensational or preachy, but an absorbing study. And while the viewer’s sympathies are firmly with the girl, the father is not depicted as a stereotypical villain. Issermann gets at the core of sexual abuse by showing the roots of his behavior. At the time of publication, Shadow of Doubt had no North American distributor. In addition to the festival, it was shown in Toronto as a fund-raiser for the Canadian Institute of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy. This thoroughly researched, beautifully done film deserves to be seen by a wider audience. Striking a much different mood, is Lina Wertmiiller’s Me Let’s Hope I Make It/Io speriamo che me la cavo, an edgy comedy about a town in Naples, where family and school have disintegrated as a result of crime and vio Interviews: Maria Luisa Bemberg, page 10 Lita Stantic, page 14 Marianne Eyde, page 16 lence. A dedicated school teacher faces Dickensian conditions as he tries to get truant students back in school. Underlying Wertmiiller’s biting humor are the tragic consequences of poverty— children who find crime a way of survival. Clara Law, returning to Toronto, makes a strong anti-war statement with Temptation of a Monk, an epic story of Chinese warlords. The tale takes place in 626 A.D. during the Early Tang Dynasty. A brilliant general, who betrays the prince he serves, is pursued by his rival, resulting in bloodshed. The general takes refuge in a Buddhist temple where strict abstinence from worldly pleasure is demanded, and begins a long road to enlightenment. This is Law’s sixth film. It’s in striking contrast to. Autumn Mood, a minimalist abstract sketch of two rootless youths seeking the meaning of life in Hong Kong, which was shown last year. Her eye for color, composition and well-choreographed movement create a distinctive style. Other works by women included: When Pigs Fly (U.S./Germany) is Sara Driver’s whimsical tale about a pair of ghosts, a jazz musician, a go-go dancer and a guy who gets what’s coming to him. In From the East/D’est (France/Belgium/Portugal) Belgian director Chantal Akerman records her impressions on a journey from East Germany to Moscow. Yolande Zauberman’s Me Ivan, You Abraham/Moi Ivan, toi Abraham (France) re-creates the world in a Jewish shtetl on an estate in Eastern Poland in the 30s. In this simple story a Jewish boy and a Christian boy decide to run away together. Several directors attended the festival, including Maria Luisa Bemberg and Lita Stantic, Argentina; Marianne Eyde, Peru; Clara Law and Sylvia Chang, Hong Kong; Aline Issermann, France; Chantal Akerman, Belgium; Tracey Moffatt, Australia; and Beth B, Janice Findley, Nancy Sovaca, Sara Driver and Tamara Jenkins, Si For more information: Toronto International Festival of Festivals, 70 Carlton St., Toronto, Ontario M5B 1L7. 416/967-7371. Fax: 416/967-9477. Volume 2 Number3 @ 7