Politics, race and suspense open women directors' film festival

By Ellen Fox
Special to the Tribune

March 12, 2004

Whether you find it inspiring that the annual Women in the Director's Chair Festival is now in its 23rd run, or dismaying that there still has to be a separate showcase for female filmmakers, largely depends on what kind of feminist you are.

But after a year in which "Monster" and "Thirteen" and "Lost in Translation" were all praised, the gap between women and Hollywood seems to be getting a little smaller.

Running just five days because of funding costs, it is half as long as it was last year, when it also had the misfortune of coinciding with the start of war in Iraq. But perhaps streamlining makes for better programming, says festival director KJ Mohr.

"All of the programs are really strong because we had to be so selective," said Mohr, who attributes the funding cuts to a widespread drop in grants and corporate donations to not-for-profits.

The festival is largely comprised of short films. Though it officially runs from Wednesday through March 21, it kicks off at 5:15 p.m. Saturday with a benefit screening of "Thirteen" and an appearance by the film's director, Catherine Hardwicke, at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St. Tickets are $25, $20 members.

Other highlights from the schedule include "Homegirls," a lineup of Chicago-made films (March 19); "Dyke Night," a program of lesbian material (March 20); and a screening and panel discussion of Trinh T. Minh-ha's dreamy feature, "Night Passage" (March 21).

Here are reviews of some upcoming short-film programs:

"Strategic Offense" (star)1/2

It's not the predictability of the politics that makes this program so disappointing (though a bit of contrarianism, or at the very least, a nod to the opposition, never hurts), it's the lack of imagination and energy.

Lori Hiris' "The Invisible Hand"--a lyrical chalkboard lesson in corporate greed--is the only winner in the bunch.

Among the most embarrassing is Diane Nerwen's four-minute "The Thief of Baghdad," which stitches together scenes from old movies and dubs in a Bush-related plot; it's a one-note satire that isn't funny, but will get laughs from sympathizers.

Janet Fuchs and Deb Huston's "Let My Country Awake" is more a document than documentary of last year's war protests; its many yelled speeches and loopy interviewees do little to combat the stereotype of protesters as really annoying nut jobs. 6 p.m. Wed.

"Black Planet" (star)(star)

The focus here is race, frequently couched in relationships. JJ Goldberger's halting melodrama "Stone Mansion" follows an anxious wife and headstrong husband around their home as they worry about the encroaching Tulsa race riot. Rebecca Abbott's intimate one-act "Herbert III" follows an anxious wife and irritable husband around their bedroom as they worry about their son.

Daheli Hall's slick, quick "The Memo" is an office-revenge fantasy that's smart enough to leave you wanting more. Haaruun Ayawa's non-narrative piece of video art in triplicate, "First We Pray," will inspire thoughts of "Is it over yet?" in some, but it's partly redeemed by piquant audio samples by the likes of Richard Pryor and Jill Scott. 6 p.m. Thu.

"While You Were Out" (star)(star)

Once you make it past Marty Mericka's oy-inducing opener, "Happy Hour," about the world's most painfully overdone gab-session, things get more interesting. Virginie Danglades' hospital-set kicker, "Sparks," is a mystery that has the nerve to juxtapose urban dance with Locked-in Syndrome: very New York.

Victoria Foster's "Unsynchables at Any Age," about an elderly synchronized swim team, is a timid feel-good work.

The program wraps up with two very different approaches to suspense, Aimee Lagos' actioner "Underground," which follows a nervous woman through the metro, and Marie Kreutzer's "Un Peu Beaucoup," a pin-drop quiet coming-of-age story. 10 p.m. Thu.

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All screenings, panels and parties (except for "Thirteen") take place at the Women in the Director's Chair theater at the Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., 5th floor. Tickets are $8; $6 students, seniors and members. Information 773-907-0610 or www.widc.org.


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