The 10th Annual MadCat Womens International Film Festival
Friday, September 15, 2006, 7:30 pm, $7-
These unique documentaries depict women with entirely different approaches to gaining independence. In a water deprived Iranian village, Atefeh stands alone defending her fields from Mother Natures arid whims. Unafraid of hard work and tough negotiations, Atefeh stands her ground, a lone woman, to save her livelihood. In The Angelmakers, several women in a small town in Hungary change their fate and that of the town through a series of irreversible acts of desperation.
Water and Atefeh by Nahid Rezaei (US Premiere)
A portrait of a strong-willed, unconventional woman who works hard to save her fields in an arid region of Iran. While the entire nation suffers from drought, Atefeh makes every effort to irrigate her farmland. A struggle of wills, Atefeh negotiates with local workers, easily taking on different tactics to get what she needs. Sweet-talking and spearheading tough negotiations, she works with government engineers and laborers to lead natural ground water to her fields. Her hard-working energy and independent presence can only hint at how difficult it is to live a solitary life as a woman in Iran. While her world is far from lonely, she struggles to settle in her home amidst the chaos of her daily life.2001, 42 min, Color, Mini-DV, Iran
The Angelmakers by Astrid Bussink (West Coast Premiere)
The Angelmakers is an observational portrait of the sleepy village of Nagyrev in rural Hungary. We meet its inhabitants who share with us their daily lives and their memories of the villages tainted past. We gradually come to understand the extent of the arsenic murders that took place in 1929, when a large group of women were held responsible for poisoning their husbands using the so-called flypaper method. Reticent about this period in their history for many years, they reveal intimate details through an intriguing web of memories, which recapture old but everlasting tales of life, death, and the struggle between the sexes.2005, 30 min, Color, Beta SP, Scotland/Hungary
For more details go to www.madcatfilmfestival.org
Co-presented by the Center for Asian American Media