The Lineup for The Female Frame Film Review

As part of the celebrations for the Year of Brave Women of the Kujawy Pomorze Region, we invite you to a special film review titled The Female Frame. The Year of Brave Women honors inspiring, courageous women associated with Kujawy Pomorze Region, such as Elżbieta Zawacka – a clandestine operative and courier for the Home Army; Helena Grossówna – a pre-war film star and officer in the Warsaw Uprising; and Nawojka – a pioneer in the fight for women’s access to university education. These three extraordinary figures embody resilience and strength of spirit, which, despite the passage of time, continue to inspire generations.

The Female Frame film review is part of a larger celebration aimed at commemorating the achievements of remarkable women whose impact on our society is invaluable.

THE ART OF LOVING. STORY OF MICHALINA WISLOCKA

The Art of Loving by Dr Michalina Wisłocka is a book that created great turmoil (in the positive sense of the word) in Polish minds like no other. This erotic guidebook published in 1978 (during the communist era, which, despite its slogans, was a very strict time in terms of sexuality) broke taboos and sold nearly 7 million copies. The movie reveals the interesting life of the author, her amazing character, and her struggle to publish her book in the face of political and religious obstacles.

Director: Maria Sadowska
Cinematographer: Michał Sobociński
Production: Watchout Productions
Country and year: Poland, 2017

FRIDA

A true story of Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, the larger-than-life painters who became the most acclaimed artists in Mexican history, and whose tempestuous love affair, landmark journeys to America, and outrageous personalities made them legendary.

Director: Julie Taymor
Cinematographer: Rodrigo Prieto
Production: Handprint Entertainment, Lionsgate Films, Miramax, Ventanarosa Productions
Country and year: USA, 2002

LOVE ACCORDING TO DALVA

Dalva, 12, lives only with her father. One evening, the police storms into their home and takes her into foster care. As Dalva befriends her new roommate Samia and social worker Jayden, she gradually comes to understand the love she shared with her father was not what she thought. With their help, Dalva will learn to become a child again.

Original title: Dalva
Director: Emmanuelle Nicot
Cinematographer: Caroline Guimbal
Production: Hélicotronc SPRL
Country and year: France, Belgium, 2022

MAMI WATA: A WEST AFRIKAN FOLKLORE

This genre-bending tale brings to life a futuristic fable that fuses spiritual beliefs with inter-generational tensions. Set in the matriarchal ocean village of Iyi, where West African water deity, Mami Wata, reigns via village leader Mama Efe. When the harmony of the village is threatened, two sisters must fight to restore order, as traditions of the past crash with calls of the future. The film uniquely brings to the screen a story of mythology, fantasy, and folklore.

Original title: Mami Wata
Director: C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi
Cinematographer: Lílis Soares
Production: Fiery Film Company
Country and year: UK, Nigeria, France, 2023

MUSTANG

It’s the beginning of summer. In a village in the north of Turkey, Lale and her four sisters come home from school, innocently playing with boys. The supposed debauchery of their games causes a scandal with unintended consequences. The family home slowly turns into a prison, classes on housework and cooking replace school, and marriages begin to be arranged. The five sisters, driven by the same desire for freedom, fight back against the limits imposed on them.

Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
Cinematographer: David Chizallet, Ersin Gok
Production: CG Cinéma
Country and year: Qatar, Turkey, France, Germany, 2015

SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD

A documentary story about the power of sisterhood, the beauty of all bodies and the cleansing power of saunas. The film takes the audience on a journey deep into the life-giving forest. A group of women gather in a traditional sauna to relax, sing and cook together, but above all, to share their deepest secrets, thoughts and draw strength from togetherness. In the heated, intimate space of the sauna, they let go of their fears and shame, regaining their energy for life. This universal story, which was filmed over eight years, also shows the phenomenon of Estonia’s UNESCO-listed smoke sauna.

Director: Anna Hints
Cinematographer: Ants Tammik
Production: Alexandra Film, Kepler22 Productions, Ursus Parvus
Country and year: Estonia, France, Iceland, 2023