Naomi Volcy – Central Bureau Chief
The Women’s Film Fest, which was hosted by Central Campus’s Student Government, was an opportunity for students to watch short films that discussed unique issues with women as the focal point. The three films featured were: Death Metal Grandma, Pauline and a TEDx Talk by Sue Austin. The event occurred Thursday, March 10 under the building 19 patio with refreshments, such as freshly made popcorn. Once the films finished, a member of Student Government would ask related questions, such as: Have you ever done something that you always wanted to do? Have you ever felt like you did not belong? What is something you enjoy doing, and why? Students were given a Student Life bag and water bottle for answering these questions.
Death Metal Grandma is a short film that focuses on Inge Ginsberg, a then 94-year-old Jewish women who becomes interested in creating heavy metal music. The film follows Ginsberg as she prepares for her audition with American’s Got Talent. The film provides a glimpse into her life as Ginsberg discusses her past of escaping the Holocaust, becoming a refugee in Switzerland, and her musical career in Hollywood. Ginsberg’s main message being that she wants to explore new things in life, such as heavy metal music, but she does not have to use her explorations as a means of proving she is alive to everyone else. This is due to her age.
Pauline is a film of a young woman that recounts her experience of discovering her sexuality, then coming to terms with her sexuality. The film discusses ostracization from community and family, as she recounts situations where loved ones become cold to her. She was placed in uncomfortable situations with her parents and feels that she has brought shame to them. So, she decides to leave home. From then, she finds love and feels more comfortable in her new home. The film provides a different point of view of coming out.
The TEDx Talk by Sue Austin, a disabled multimedia, performance, and installation artist, talks about her journey in a wheelchair, the stigma that is attached to wheelchairs, and an experience of a new form of freedom. After an illness, Austin was given a wheelchair for mobility. Austin associated the chair with freedom as she was no longer limited in what she can do. Though, she found that others would pity her because they felt that her wheelchair hindered her. To prove that this was not the case, Austin creates an underwater wheelchair. With this underwater wheelchair, Austin can scuba dive. In her presentation, she provides beautiful footage of her underwater exploration with her underwater chair. Austin shows that there is many things that you can do, even in a wheelchair.
If you are interested in viewing these short films, for Death Metal Grandma you can visit, https://youtu.be/mQZ_7C2oaLM. For Pauline, you can visit https://youtu.be/RvgnOqBu314 .
For Sue Austin’s TEDx Talk, you can visit https://youtu.be/PCWIGN3181U.
Volcn@mail.broward.edu