Earlier this month, Pope Francis once again called childless couples “selfish,” extolling the virtues of parenthood as essential to the human experience and sparking a significant backlash. Thank goodness, then, that there’s the perfect film waiting in the wings to counter this baseless claim: award-winning filmmaker Therese Shechter’s newest documentary, “My So-Called Selfish Life.”
Author: Aviva Dove-Viebahn
Aviva Dove-Viebahn is an assistant professor of film and media studies at Arizona State University and a contributing editor for Ms.' Scholar Writing Program.
Feminist Faves: 10 Women-Led Television Shows to Celebrate 2021
Since we appear to be in one of the dark timelines, it shouldn’t be any wonder that a lot of that good comes to us in the form of fictional media.
These 10 shows that came out this year captured my attention because of their distinctive and dynamic women characters. Most of these shows were created by women and/or employ many women as writers and directors of individual episodes. All of them feature compelling women protagonists or co-leads.
“The Hill Where Lionesses Roar” and “Quickening,” Debut Features by Emerging Filmmakers, Are Intimate Exposés into the Lives of Young Women
With heart and bravery, and offering unique windows into typically unexplored lives, remarkable debut features ‘The Hill Where Lionesses Roar’ and ‘Quickening’ both interrogate how young women on the cusp of adulthood navigate their ever more-complicated worlds.
Camille Griffin’s Apocalyptic, Existential “Silent Night” Challenges Conventions of the Feel-Good Holiday Movie
A rare apocalyptic holiday movie, ‘Silent Night’ is a philosophical and spirited dark comedy that manages to be equal parts charming and horrifying, but without the gruesome visuals that typify the horror genre.
In Indigenous Thriller “Night Raiders,” Danis Goulet Blends History, Sci-Fi, Legend and Reality
An Indigenous sci-fi thriller, “Night Raiders” brings the painful history of Canada’s residential school system into a war-torn, eerily conceivable future. (This is one in a series of reviews from the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, during which I focused on films directed by women.)
Debut Films “Aloners” and “Violet” Immerse Us in the Lives of Women on the Brink of Change
“Aloners” is an intensely quiet, atmospheric exploration of self-imposed isolation and loneliness requiring both focus and patience from the audience. “Violet,” by contrast, is intrusively loud, allowing neither its protagonist nor its viewers a moment of peace from the insistence of its narrative interruptions.
Examined together, these films present two distinct views on modern life, professional achievement and personal struggle.
Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman”: A Unique Meditation on the Bond Between Mothers and Daughters
In Céline Sciamma’s newest feature, “Petite Maman,” for the first time, mother and daughter speak the same language and play the same games—perhaps discovering that they understood each other all along.
[This is one in a series of reviews from the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), during which I focused on films directed by women.]
15,000 ERA Supporters Urge Sen. Kyrsten Sinema to End the Filibuster
In the sweltering heat of a midday desert sun, a delegation of ERA supporters gathered in front of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s local office to deliver thousands of letters, postcards and petitions from Arizona and across the country imploring the senator to align with her fellow progressives and help end or reform the filibuster—a necessary step so the Senate can move forward on a vote to remove the time limit on passing the ERA.
What Not to Do When Making a Women-Led Action Film: ‘Gunpowder Milkshake’ as Cautionary Tale
“Gunpowder Milkshake” is a cautionary tale about what happens when you’re determined to make a women-led shoot-‘em-up, but have given very little thought to what you’re actually going to do with those women in terms of story structure, characterization or dialogue.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Natasha? Marvel’s ‘Black Widow’ Is Fun But Not Enough
‘Black Widow’ may be an enjoyable romp on the surface, but as a triumphant send-off for Natasha Romanoff, it feels hollow: too little, too late.