Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the movie industry has been affected all over the world.
Yet the Women Make Waves Film Festival (WMWFF), in Taiwan has found a way to survive.
At its opening last night in Taipei, Last night (Oct, 16th) ,the festival showcased its opening gala, and its opening film; Maternal.
The opening gala was stacked with big wheels from different fields, as well as film fans from Taiwan and around the globe.
In opening the festival, chairwoman, WANG Chun-Chi talked about the concept of this year’s event, “Femture”, the idea of feminism, combining with the shape of the future.
WANG stressed the close and inseparable connection between the “future” and “past memory”.
When our world has been brought to a grinding halt, and people are looking forward to the future, we have to keep reminding ourselves that we have to move heaven and earth to create a brighter future of our own making.
While moving forward, never forget the imprinting of history and past memory.
By thinking of these can we truly create a future in the shape of hope.
The chairwoman, WANG Chun-Chi opens proceedings
Director-General, Pecha LO, in her own allotted time in the spotlight mentioned the lack of foreign directors and filmmakers making it to Taiwan due to the virus.
The WMWFF does still have an international feel in it presenting two international programs in cooperation with The National Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Center, and the Bureau Français de Taipei.
Added to this, the opening film is a remarkable Argentine film set to a backdrop of 1960s New Argentine Aesthetics.
The director, Maura DELPERO, revealed the cruel reality of the times with her extreme and impressing tender movie linguistics; a way to soothe people in chaotic times.
Director-General, Pecha LO, speaking to attendees
Maternal brings audiences into a paradoxical world inhabited by two teen moms struggling with their maternity and responsibilities toward their children, and the nun, Sister Paola, who seems to be a woman of strong maternal values, also going through her own struggle with her vow of chastity.
Besides the plot and the setting, the director presents us with more paradoxes over the course of the movie.
The contrasting personality of the two teen moms, the distinction between those teens and nuns living together, and even at the beginning of the movie, how Sister Paola and Lu first being introduced which creates a strong contrast of image and sense.
These paradoxes remind audiences that we all live in a paradoxical world, where tensions and conflicts happening daily, where issues and struggles occur every single moment of every single day.
These may be small like the identity struggles faced by an individual, such as the main characters, or larger as in the as of-yet-unsolved problems in society; in this case the increasing numbers of teen moms in Argentina.
The movie flows moderately with an underlying dramatic tension.
This tension is based on the individual character’s inner conflicts, and the external conflicts between Lu and Sister Paola, which combine at times, and affects both.
Although the issues of family and maternity can be tough and serious, with the aesthetic scenes and shots, the movie will definitely soothe your heart as a mother soothes a child.
“The frames represent the world, ethnicity, the family, and the individual. The watch establishes the connection between past, present, and future. It visualizes how people attempt to explore what the future will look like.”
This is the concept portrayed in the “Femture” poster.
Although it is called “ ’Women’ ” Makes Waves” Film Festival, and features movies overseen by female directors, the concept and idea is to bring to people more than that.
It is about gender, but in a much more holistic view than so often seen.
The festival presents family issues, gender issues, and feminism in a range of different cultural wrappings, and conforming to the times.
The figures of women are elusive, trying to break the usual stereotypes and leave the audience with interpretations requiring thought and consideration.
Each has their own story and way of creating the future – looking back to the past, and reflecting in the present.
▎ The 27th Women Make Waves Film Festival Taiwan｜2020.10.16 – 10.25
▎ WMWFF Website：http://www.wmw.org.tw/tw/wmwff/index
▎ WMWFF Facebook：https://www.facebook.com/wmwff/
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