Bluestocking Film Series 2018: A Wonderful, Women-Centric Collection

Within the heart of Maine, a sense of pride is instilled. This is made entirely possible by the creation of the Bluestocking Film series. Bluestocking contains all-narrative short films from around the world, presenting female protagonists, delivered in a two night showing in Portland, Maine. They also each pass the Bechdel-Wallace Test. For those who don’t know what that is, a film must have (at least) two women present, that speak to one another, about something other than a man. It’s truly not asking a lot, is it?

Kate Kaminski founded Bluestocking Film Series in 2011, and this was what she had to say about why she started the series.

“I began Bluestocking Film Series as an experiment that asked the question: If I brought female-centered, women-directed films to Maine, would the audience show up? Eight years later, I can say that the audience has shown up, year after year, to see short films they wouldn’t see all in one program anywhere else, to experience a festival that celebrates female characters who are rich and complicated, and to hear from filmmakers who place those characters front and center.”

I’ve also included the trailer that opened the shorts this year, of which Kate has to say:

“I recently had a Facebook message asking me to explain the origin of the concept for this year’s trailer. So the idea was that it’s a Viking Funeral for Male-Dominated Cinema. We wanted to be a bit joke-y about it, but at the same time, evoke a question in those who see it. Because, the key word here is dominated. And I would ask each of us to consider what the cost is of suppressing women’s voices and stories in one of the most influential cultural products we export from this country. The needle for women is not moving — but at Bluestocking Film Series, on those two nights every year, female voices and stories are prioritized, and I hope audiences find that both refreshing and empowering. After all, that’s what we are here for.”

You can watch the trailer here:

https://vimeo.com/279431404

With Bluestocking I was able to enjoy two days, filled with 15 excellent shorts. Both featured a slew of films ranging from 3 minutes to 30, all with strong female characters front and center, within impassioned, unique stories. There’s a lot of intelligent entries in this lineup, with some hilarious stories and heartfelt sentiments. Here’s a peek:

Night One

Lux Aeterna (Edith Tvede)

I’m always a sucker for a good sci-fi story,and Lux Aeterna weaves together elements of the genre, while keeping it grounded. News reporter Helene (Ditte Ylva Olsen) goes to interview Karen Franklin (Ghita Norby) and what she finds she could have never expected. As an inventor, she’s created a machine that can prove the existence of a soul. Not only that – she has proof that when we die our souls go into another body.

Pretty heavy idea, right?

Helene thinks so too, and this is where this splash of oddity takes a turn towards the dramatic. Is this something that should exist? Should the world know? When asked “Why?” Her answer is: “It is because we can.”

Director Edith Tvede uses stunning visuals and aptly aimed shots to mark the encounter, and the aftershock, making it an intriguing experience.

Three (Fabia Castro)

Lara (Fabia Castro) arrives to help out her friend, Manuela (Marian Arahuetes) with a problem. She’s unable to make herself cry, which is a necessity as an actress. To make herself  she comes up with the idea for Lara and her girlfriend Sonia (Paula Foncia) to sleep together. This three-minute short has the three women conversing in a way that seems genuine, as if they’re actually friends. This provides an ease in which to watch. The wobbly camera makes for a dizzying accompaniment, but it does add a handheld intimate touch.

Candle Magic (Alix Bannon)

This sweet story focuses on four friends as they celebrate one, Sophia’s (Atheena Frizzell), birthday. They decide to head out into a field at night, light candles and practice a bit of magic.

From it’s opening, the short has a breezy score that matches the outdoor shots seamlessly. It’s at night, and the darkness – with the city lights in the distance – make for a terrific setting. There’s also one tender moment, when two of the girls share a kiss, that’s especially poignant.

Candle Magic is a sweet, airy slice of youth and adventure.

Fluff (Zoe Salicrup Junco)

As the film starts, a phone conversation between mother and daughter tells us that they are grieving. In the next scene we discover their distress is because of the loss of their cat, Fluff. Tinged with comedic moments that feel real, Fluff is also about a mother and daughter, with the sort of subtle comforts that only a relationship like that can provide. The story is simple enough, but the performances by Shirley Rumierk and Olga Merediz make it memorable.

Searching for Isabelle (Stephanie Jeter)

Isabelle (Charlee Marie Cotton) is a young happy college student, until one night she’s kidnapped by a killer. When confined, her friends search for her, and she realizes she harnesses an ability to project herself outside of her body.

Using this newfound skill she appears before her friends in an attempt for them to find her before it is too late. The original music by Alexa Grae fits the film perfectly. There are a lot of beautiful images, with an original narrative that intertwines fantasy with a real, nailbiting sort of thrill.

Cross My Heart (Sontenish Myers)

Cross my heart tackles a sensitive subject: sexual abuse, in a way that’s enlightening and new. When Julette (Jordan-Amanda Hall) goes to visit her family in Jamaica, she notices right away that something is off with her cousin. She gets her to divulge her secret involving their uncle, and in turn she makes her promise not to say anything.

This news changes how she sees her own family, and it makes the story significantly amplified, because as a viewer, it makes you think too.

There’s an unsettling menace that takes flight, gripping and turning your stomach upside down, once the revelation is made and she’s forced to maneuver her family, knowing the truth. In every way that counts, Cross my Heart succeeds. These actresses give a moving portrayal in a story that’s both meaningful and necessary.

16 Semanas (weeks) (Carlota Coronado)

This short plays up an entirely different story than what it truly is (which is intentional). As it begins there’s tension; it flashes back and forth between a young woman in a job interview (Vanessa Espín) to her at her job later, seemingly alarmed. She has a secret, but what is it? Several ideas pop through your head about what it could be, and it’s a curious thing. As it turns out, this isn’t what you’d expect.

She’s recently given birth.

At the end, maternity leave statistics are provided, showing that women are even fired sometimes because of their pregnancy. This makes the fear, and unknowing sensation that builds up this short, warranted.

Valentina (Mary Molina)

Valentina (Emma Ramos) is a house cleaner, and on this particular day (the hottest in history) her vagina is having a mind of its own. Yes, I’m being real. Not only a mind, but an opinionated voice.

Her vagina is sassy, to say the least, and on this sweltering day, as the AC dies in the apartment she is cleaning, it demands freedom. A comical, if not extreme, declaration of feminine liberty.

I loved the final scene, and thought it did a great job of combining something outlandish with real equality concerns, all by exposing it all.

Night 2

Come On In (Jody L. Miller)

Come On In boasts a wildly funny, fast-paced slew of dialogue. As the viewer watches one side of the conversation, we see Beverly (Jen Ponton) chat away as if she’s talking to her best friend.

She’s not.

It’s someone trying to sell her newspapers, but we get the idea that Beverly is not only lonely, but not entirely sane. This is solidified when the camera pans away to show she’s got someone tied up, painting their toenails, smiling as if its normal.

It’s not surprising that star Jen Ponton won best actor, and the film won best in show, because in its short run-time we manage to get a complete 180 transformation. Director Jody L. Miller uses the audience pliability as a tool for her vision, because we have our own misconceptions about Beverly, and so we’re shocked when they’re flipped on their head.

Did I say it’s also hilarious? Because it is. The dark humor with a side of villainess makes Come On In one to remember.

Ascent (Mark Brocking)

Ascent is about a woman who loses her grandmother and is granted a mysterious looking mirror from her will. It’s a science fiction short, with this object providing her with the opportunity to look past death, and converse with her grandmother again (among other things I’m sure).

It’s artfully designed with a glamorous sort of look to it, and it has a very intriguing premise with the potential to be dazzling, but it doesn’t fully hit its mark.

Not Even a Line (Victor E.D. Somoza)

I loved this short. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy them all in one way or another, but Not Even a Line made me full belly laugh. This story, which focuses on a couple of elderly women as they sit in a café, and plan a robbery (of a bingo game no less) was hilarious. Encarna (Selica Torcal) and Rosario (Milagros Morón) are both magnetic as they walk us through the steps, including (but not limited to) sawing off a shotgun (poorly I might add).

Not Even a Line has such sharp direction that every little moment, a glance or a facial expression, has an intentional purpose. The writing team of Chema Cardosa, Nadia Mata Portillo, and Víctor E.D. Somoza create some great banter between our leads. Somoza’s decision to show the final sequences (the eventual “heist”) by news report made it shine even more for me.

Enough (Christina Raia)

Three women: Kristine Gordon, Dani Thomas, and Gwen Albers come together in the midst of a home robbery, two are the assailants and one is housesitting at the time.

Much like a full-featured caper, the reveal at the end is an important part, and Enough’s is most definitely good. There’s a bit of humor, and despite the story not being one of a jokey variety, I think it could have benefited from more. Overall, the three performances are great, promoting strong women who can be just as aggressive or intelligent as their men counterparts would in similar circumstances.

One Small Step (Aqsa Altaf)

There’s an underlying pull, somewhere between necessity and curiosity, that makes this short – and its important message – hard to deny. Still, One Small Step gives us a slice, but it isn’t big enough. This isn’t a criticism.

A single mother (Avanna King) struggles with her responsibilities after her husband is murdered. Two of her kids (Charlie Reddix and Destiny Toliver), specifically the eldest, attempt to juggle school and duties at home. When their mother goes missing, things become even more difficult.

The children are truly the heart of Step, and are both very talented. It’s difficult to watch and not to invest in them. As they go to school each day, dropping their toddler sibling off, having no lunch at school (because their mother forgot to pay) and their mother making signs in protest for her husband, it’s a gritty but truthful story.

On top of a great script by Travis Rush, it’s a visually crisp film with wonderful performances that really capture the emotional story. My only problem was that there wasn’t more of it, but as a peek within the window of their life, it’s a stark one.

Apricot (Lara Del Arte)

While this short has the setting of a meal at a dinner table, it’s really about a battle of wits between grandmother and granddaughter. Margaret (Karis Town) doesn’t get along with her elder, who seems to relish in tormenting her. In this dark comedy, whether it be removing one’s teeth or shoving foreign objects in apricots, neither is backing down.

This is war, and her parents seem to be completely oblivious.

I thought Apricot was cute, with moments of humor (and some of disgust) that has a great core premise, but it doesn’t fully envelop. I liked the general idea, and its concise running time actually did it justice because it plucked one particular battle out of what I’d assume to be many.

Pool (Leandro Goddinho)

Pool was one of my favorites that I saw (no surprise it walked away with the audience vote on the 2nd night, and best production design). The reason? Well, there are many, but most importantly because it resonated long after I saw it.

There are two stories melding together in Pool, and both parts add to the overall heartbreaking tale. In modern time, Claudia (Luciana Paes) searches for a friend of her recently deceased grandmother. She  finds Marlene (Sandra Dani) living in an emptied pool in Brazil. This is where the production was really A+ because they did a wonderful job creating this setting. She finds her and the two share stories. Some are of Marlene’s relationship with her grandmother, of saving her life and, eventually, the two falling in love. Before her grandmother died she mistook Claudia for Marlene, and Claudia passes along the affecting message.

Her grandmother spent time in a concentration camp, and was made to do horrendous things because she was a homosexual. In its final moments, The Pool provides a reminder of how homosexuals were treated in the holocaust, which makes this short film even more important. Pool has some very beautiful performances, which makes each woman captivating, and the short as a whole – mighty powerful.

In the current exchange we also get to hear about Claudia and her wife and child, which shows how things have progressed since their time, and gives us a “light” at the end of this – until then- very heartwrenching story.

Conclusion

With so many varying genres, and so many complex characters, Bluestocking Film Series delivers an admirable slate this year. It’s a refreshing accomplishment to be able to provide this, and it allows a great venue for filmmakers out there to share their voice. Well: received, appreciated and adored!

Bluestocking Film Series ran on August 3rd and 4th. For more information visit the website here.