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These are the Documentaries that are in screening at the LA Femme International Film Festival 2011.

A JOURNEY IN MY MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS

OCT 14, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

DINA ROSENMEIER

RT: 77 MIN

CAST: Dina Rosenmeier, Jessie Rosenmeier (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: For every person who dedicates their life to a cause, their family makes a collective sacrifice.

 

ATOMIC MOM

OCT 14, 4-6 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

M.T. SILVIA

RT: 80 MIN

SYNOPSIS: Atomic Mom is a documentary about two women, both mothers, who have very different experiences of the atom bomb. After decades of silence, a daughter’s quest for truth leads to the exchange of an olive branch between an American Scientist and a Hiroshima Survivor.

 

BANGLADESH: A CLIMATE TRAP

OCT 13, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Ami Vitale

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Sanjeev Chatterjee

RT: 27 MIN

SYNOPSIS: In Dhaka, climate change refugees are moving from the countryside and into squalid slums due to environmental degradation. Like millions of others, Alam Mia has been forced to make the teeming capital of Dhaka his home. We follow his journey as he leaves his homestead in search of a livelihood in the city. Dhaka feels more like a foreign country than home. For the family, it is a struggle for survival. Alam Mia is trapped. His move to the city is not a beginning full of possibilities. Korial, Dhaka’s largest slum signifies the bitter culmination of his dreams.

 

BONSAI PEOPLETHE VISION of MUHAMMAD YUNUS

OCT 13, 4-6 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

HOLLY MOSHER

RT: 82 MIN

SYNOPSIS: What if you could harness the power of the free market to solve the problems of poverty, hunger, and inequality? To some, it sounds impossible. But Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus is doing exactly that. Yunus did his part to fight poverty by micro-lending $27 to 42 people, an effort which has now grown to 8 million women and 8 billion dollars. But he didn’t stop there; whenever he sees a problem he starts a social business – showing the world that complex problems sometimes do have simple answers. It’s not about handouts, it’s about a hand up.

 

BREAKING THROUGH THE CLOUDS: THE FIRST WOMEN’S NATIONAL AIR DERBY

OCT 16, 4-6 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

HEATHER TAYLOR

RT: 90 MIN

CAST: Molly Moores (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: The inspiring story of 20 women who raced across America in 1929. Amelia Earhart and 19 other women defied convention by racing across the sky to compete in the first Women’s National Air Derby. With just a compass and road map to guide them, they navigated through rough weather, mechanical failures, public scrutiny and rumors of sabotage.

 

CARTOGRAPHY OF LONELINESS

OCT 15, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

NOCEM COLLADO

RT: 69 MIN

SYNOPSIS: The documentary is akin to a map tracing the emotions and feelings of women in three countries, India, Nepal and Afghanistan. India is the country with the most widows in the world, 45 million. In Nepal, half of the female population is widowed. Afghanistan has the highest proportion of widows in the world after 30 years of war. Tradition, society and religion have determined the course of their lives following their husbands’ deaths. Many widows are abandoned by their families, or victim of women trafficking, or condemned to social ostracism. I lived with them 4 months and they told me their amazing stories.

 

FAST TALK

OCT 15, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

DEBRA TOLCHINSKY

PRODUCERS

DEBRA TOLCHINSKY, DAVID TOLCHINSKY, RON WARD

RT: 56 MIN

SYNOPSIS: College debaters now speak at unintelligible speeds. Some claim the benefits are clear: More arguments per minute that an opposing team needs to rebut. But is there a dark side to fast talk? To answer this question, filmmaker Debra Tolchinsky spends a year following the Northwestern University debate team, as the students try to fast talk their way to another championship. A documentary that will make you question the speed of your own life and keep you talking.

 

FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS

OCT 14, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS

Carole Hart, Bruce Hart

PRODUCERS

Carole Hart, Bruce Hart

RT: 85 MIN

CAST: Grandmother Flordemayo, Aama Bombo, Agnes Baker Pilgrim

SYNOPSIS: 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, shamans and medicine women from around the world, have been called together to share their wisdom and practices. Can they light the way for us to a peaceful and sustainable planet?

 

FROM OUR STRENGTH: TWO BIRTHS AND INDIGENOUS IDENTITY IN CANAR, ECUADOR

OCT 13, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS

Patricia Keith, Suzanne Morrissey

RT: 36 MIN

SYNOPSIS: Ecuador is a country of extraordinary beauty and diversity, captured in this stunning film about a group of indigenous women in the Andean Highlands. Documentary footage of two childbirths and intimate interviews disrupt assumptions about ‘traditional’ and ‘modern.’ The stories of mothers, midwives, and nurses trace the complex relationships between indigenous politics, social change, and health care choices. Why in spite of a strong resurgence of native midwifery in the past decade are women like Lucinda, Veronica, and Rosa choosing to give birth in hospitals rather than at home, electing pain medications and epidurals while respecting and desiring traditional practices? How does Mama Mariana, revered midwife and Ministry of Health nurse, convince the State to allow midwives to assist in births at the public hospitals?

 

GLOBAL VILLAGE PROJECT, THE

OCT 16, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS

ELLA JANE NEW & DAVID REY

PRODUCERS

ELLA JANE NEW & DAVID REY

RT: 60 MIN

CAST: Matthew Lillard (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: There are 70,000 refugees legally relocated to the United States every year in hope for a better future. They arrive in America after having fled war and surviving in refugee camps facing starvation, sickness, and no education for the children. In Decatur GA thirty refugee girls have the opportunity to attend the unique, Global Village School. Told through the eyes of the girls, join their journey of survival, friendship and hope for an education, for a promising future in reaching their dreams.

 

GRAY SEASONS, THE

OCT 13, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

ROBERT HERRERA

PRODUCERS

RICHARD WEIL, ANDREA WALL, DAVID ROCCO

RT: 86 MIN

SYNOPSIS: Facing overwhelming odds and difficult competition, a newly hired, up-and-coming coach and her new recruits attempt to build a winning Division I Women’s basketball program. Over the course of 4 years, things begin to unravel, but the players that remain continue to fight for success.

 

I BELIEVE YOU: FAITHS’ RESPONSE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE

OCT 14, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS

DEBRA GONSHER VINIK & DAVID VINIK

PRODUCER

DEBRA GONSHER VINIK

RT: 59 MIN

SYNOPSIS: 1 in every four women experience intimate partner violence in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of abuse by an intimate partner each year, yet only 12% of victims turn to clergy for support. For women of faith, the specter of intimate partner violence has been a double edged sword- since historically, their faith, normally a source of comfort, has taken holy texts out of context and told women they must not break their marriage vows. But today, there is a change. Faith groups are believing the stories that women are telling. ‘I have come to understand that when I cried. God cried. When I laughed, God laughed. And when I found my way through it was because God was leading the way.

 

KINGS & QUEENS

OCT 15, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

DEANA COBLE

RT: 24 MIN

CAST: Tia Chanella, Bella Jade, T-Money Ross

SYNOPSIS: Drag queens explore the meaning of being moms and dads while still staying true to themselves.

 

KING’S GARDEN, THE

OCT 14, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

PHOEBE FRONISTA

RT: 26 MIN

SYNOPSIS: ‘The King’s Garden’ is a half-hour documentary that has one foot in the Bible and the other in the ‘volcanic core’ of the Middle East conflict: the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. In Silwan, the apple of discord is the City of David, an archaeological site where the oldest finds in Jerusalem have been unearthed. Whoever controls the site controls the village; more importantly, they also control its history. Through the words of Palestinian residents, archaeologists, Jewish settlers, the Mayor, and a child orphaned by the conflict, ‘The King’s Garden’ chronicles the uneasy – and often bloody – relationship between archaeology, history and nationalism in present-day Jerusalem.

 

LAUGHING WITH PIGMIES

OCT 16, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

HEATHER GOODWIN

RT: 40 MIN

CAST: Heather Goodwin (Voice), Elaine Leavitt

SYNOPSIS: Amidst the backdrop of Irian Jaya, Indonesia’s most remote isle; two adventure seeking American women with 20 years of friendship and a passion for exploration set out in search of a world apart from their own. Laughing with Pigmies is a heartwarming documentary that reveals the unexpected truths of what they discover along the way about their relationships, themselves, and the meaning of life. Join in the adventure!

 

LIFE MODEL

OCT 16, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

LORI PETCHERS

RT: 6 MIN

SYNOPSIS:
A 75-year-old nude figure model learns to love her body through the art she inspires.

 

MILA’S JOURNEY

OCT 13, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

ANNIE PERKINS

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

CHRISTINA JANSEN

RT: 60 MIN

SYNOPSIS: What do you do when the man you loved lies dying of cancer and hands you a suitcase containing reels of undeveloped 8mm film? It’s footage of an amazing trek made in 1976, high up in the Himalayas that turned out to be a life-changing journey with irrevocable consequences. Mila’s Journey follows Mila & her decision to return to India after more than 30 years. The film juxtaposes modern images with the old 8mm footage & pays homage to romance, adventure, spirituality, freedom and female independence.

 

MOTHER: CARING FOR 7 BILLION

OCT 14, 6-8 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

CHRISTOPHE FAUCHERE

PRODUCERS

CHRISTOPHE FAUCHERE & JOYCE JOHNSON

RT: 55 MIN

SYNOPSIS: Mother, the film, breaks a 40-year taboo by bringing to light an issue that silently fuels our most pressing environmental, humanitarian and social crises – population growth.

 

PATH TO GLORY

OCT 13, 8-10 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS

JEN MILLER & SOPHIE PELGRUM

RT: 90 MIN

SYNOPSIS: It can be said that the history of man is the history of the horse. Nowhere is that more true than in Poland with their beloved Arabian horse. This is the strange, unexpected story of far-flung lands as disparate as Egypt and the long-suffering Slavic kingdom of Poland coming together in war and in peace and influencing one another through the living history written on the backs of centuries of horses. This breathtaking film documents the unlikely, triumphant story of Poland’s entrance onto the world stage via their worldwide influence on the breeding of one animal; how a beleaguered nation rose up to become the pinnacle of Arabian horse breeding, coming full circle from desert sands to the hallowed halls of Europe.

 

PINK SKIES

OCT 15, 3-5 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

GULCIN GILBERT

RT: 82 MIN

CAST: Gulcin Gilbert (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Pink Skies is an inspirational documentary about the empowerment of women. It’s about overcoming obstacles as athletes and as human beings. The film covers an extraordinary event ‘Jump for the Cause’. Last year, JFTC brought together 181 women from 31 countries to create a World Record All-Women’s Skydiving Formation. They also raised almost $1 million dollars for breast cancer research! Along with phenomenal skydivers, the film features breast cancer survivors, cutting edge researchers, doctors and healers. It reveals breakthroughs that have not been widely publicized, explores whats working and what needs to be changed and the seismic shift towards prevention.

 

RACING TOWARDS RED HOOK

OCT 15, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

JESSICA SCOTT

PRODUCER

JESSICA SCOTT

RT: 22 MIN

SYNOPSIS: A film documenting an underground, nighttime, fixed gear bike race in Brooklyn. The Red Hook Criterium is quickly becoming a ‘must-see’ event in the cycling world and the race is the first-ever fixed gear criterium race in the world. It is an event that is expanding to cities across America and around the world and has a huge and passionate following. We follow three very different riders on their journey towards the race as they prepare for one of the biggest events of the year.

 

SLIP CUE

OCT 14, 2-4 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

ROBIN KUPFERMAN

PRODUCERS

ROBIN KUPFERMAN, JAMES LAUER, SAVIO FERRAO, SCOTT ANDERSEN

RT: 26 MIN

CAST: Aston Harvey, Carlos Sosa, Darlene Jackson, Josh Eustis

SYNOPSIS: ‘Slip Cue’ is an engaging glimpse into the electronic music industry and scene, serving as a catalyst for aspiring DJs and producers to transform a passion into a career — but is it about the people or the process of what they do and how they do it?

 

TWO SPIRITS

OCT 16, 12-2 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR

LYDIA NIBLEY

PRODUCERS

RUSSELL MARTIN & LYDIA NIBLEY

RT: 62 MIN

SYNOPSIS: Two Spirits explores the life and death of a boy who was also a girl and the essentially spiritual nature of gender and sexuality. Between tradition and controversy, between sex and spirit, between freedom and fear, lies the truth that the bravest choice you can make is to be yourself.

 

WASTE NOT

OCT 13, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/WRITER

RUTH HESSEY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

JEFF ANGEL

PRODUCER

SOPHIE ALSTERGREN

RT: 95 MIN

SYNOPSIS: What keeps a 21st Century metropolis clean and sparkling? Even as we hover on the brink of an eco-crisis, an army of truck drivers, scientists, environmentalists, gardeners, and even a famous chef areworking to transform the mountains of stuff we throw away into something valuable again.

 

WOMEN IN THE DIRT

OCT 13, 6-8 PM

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

CAROLANN STONEY

RT: 74 MINUTES

CAST: Andrea Cochran, Carolann Stoney (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Landscape frames our days: trees or flowers, sidewalks and walls, city parks or private gardens. But who envisions this framework for our daily lives? Women in the Dirt is a documentary about seven groundbreaking landscape architects. Their work ranges from intimate, jewel-like gardens to vast urban projects. Artists and scientists, the women bring to their work awareness of sustainability, function, and beauty. Women in the Dirt reveals how these self-described, masters of the obvious create the sublime.

 

YOGAWOMAN

OCT 16, 10-12 NOON

VENUE 2: DAVIDSON/VALENTINI

DIRECTORS

KATE CLERE MCINTYRE & SARASWATI CLERE

PRODUCERS

KATE CLERE MCINTYRE, MICHAEL MCINTYRE, SARASWATI CLERE

RT: 84 MIN

CAST: Annette Bening (Voice)

SYNOPSIS: Yoga was brought to the west from India by a lineage of male teachers. Now there’s a generation of women who are leading the way. They’re strong, they’re inspiring, and they’re radically changing people’s lives. From the busy streets of Manhattan to the dusty slums of Kenya, from the golden beaches of Australia to the serene piazzas of Italy, YOGAWOMAN uncovers a global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.