The Cinema Lounge meets ONLINE via ZOOM on Monday, October 19, 2020 at 7:00pm. Our topic is What Makes a Film Feminist?

Forty years ago, 9 to 5 became a box office smash. The comedy spotlighted sexual harassment and other forms of sexism in the workplace. While 9 to 5 may still be the archetypical feminist film, it was hardly the first. Joan Crawford won an Oscar playing a single mother trying to make it on her own in Mildred Pierce. Thirty years later The Stepford Wives highlighted feminist issues through a sci-fi dystopia. Since 9 to 5, many films such as Working Girl, The Accused, Erin Brockovich, Little Women (both the 1994 and 2019 versions), The Joy Luck Club, Frida, Girlfight, Whale Rider, and North Country have all, in their own way, depicted women's' struggles and triumphs. What are other films that center women’s experiences and depict women in non-stereotypical ways? Some films consciously intend to educate about women’s experiences in a patriarchal society and get the audience thinking about equal rights for women. Does a film have to do that to be considered feminist? Are there more “feminist” films now than in previous years, and, if so, why?

Please RSVP to atspector@hotmail.com and you'll get the Zoom link 1-2 days before the discussion.

Visit the Cinema Lounge page for future dates.

The Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, meets the third Monday of every month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:00pm at Teaism in Penn Quarter, 400 8th St., NW in Washington, DC (closest Metro stop is Archives, also near Metro Center and Gallery Place). NOTE: We will meet in the downstairs area. WE ARE MEETING ONLINE THIS MONTH. You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend. Cinema Lounge is moderated by Adam Spector, author of the DC Film Society's Adam's Rib column.

We were all saddened to learn of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death. She was a trailblazer who won many civil rights legal victories before she became a Supreme Court Justice. On the court, she was a voice for the less powerful and the less fortunate, constantly working to make America live up to its ideals. She also was the first Supreme Court Justice to grow into a cultural icon. Two years ago, I wrote about her along with the late Mr. Rogers. Check it out by revisiting my Adam's Rib column.

We are always looking for film-related material for the Storyboard. Our enthusiastic and well-traveled members have written about their trips to the Cannes Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, London Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Palm Springs Film Festival, the Reykjavik Film Festival, the Munich Film Festival, and the Locarno Film Festival. We also heard about what it's like being an extra in the movies. Have you gone to an interesting film festival? Have a favorite place to see movies that we aren't covering in the Calendar of Events? Seen a movie that blew you away? Read a film-related book? Gone to a film seminar? Interviewed a director? Taken notes at a Q&A? Read an article about something that didn't make our local news media? Send your contributions to Storyboard and share your stories with the membership. And we sincerely thank all our contributors for this issue of Storyboard.

FILMS

Theaters in Virginia opened in late August, but not yet DC.

Filmfest DC (October 2-11) is online. The Opening Night film is Ordinary Happiness (Daniele Luchetti) from Italy and the Closing Night film is Perfumes (Gregory Magne) from France. Many of our favorite categories such as "Justice Matters," "Trust No One," "Global Rhythms," and "The Lighter Side." Also a few films for "Arabian Sights," usually a separate festival.

Also online is the AFI's 31st Latin American Film Festival (September 24-October 7) with 26 films from Latin American countries.

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