This is my fourth year I’ve attended, and it seriously keeps getting better and better. Last year I hit up a record (for me) three films in a day, and I thought I had the peak with Band of Sisters – a documentary about American nuns working for change and social justice – and Signpainters.
But this year, oh this year, I found a new favorite. A favorite for all time I’m sure: She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry. This documentary about the feminist movement in the 1960s and 1970s was stellar. Beyond stellar. This film was packed with incredible photography and film footage from the era accompanied by interviews with a handful of important activists. Their stories and their opinions on feminism brought me to tears.
What was even more incredible was that after the film, the director and two of the activists featured, Fran Beal and Mary Jean Collins, answered a few questions after the screening, and they were amazing! They were such a strong reminder that everyday people can have a huge impact on society – granted Beal and Collins said that no victory is permanent, which is why it’s imperative that women continue to fight for equal pay, access to birth control, the right to choose, and more.
I can’t do these women’s stories justice, which is why I recommend you watch the trailer here. And keep a lookout! She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry will be hitting theaters in New York and Los Angeles in December and hopefully more theaters nationwide after that.
Did anyone else have a chance to check the festival out? What were your favorites?
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