Portrait of a Lady: The Fashionable Struggle - Fri. June 29 - 8PM

Oddball Films Media • Jun 23, 2012

Oddball Films and guest curator Christine Kwon present Portrait of a Lady: The Fashionable Struggle. Gender studies students put your black-rimmed glasses on for a night that explores the glory and plight of that most mysterious of human subjects: a woman. The collection kicks off with Woman Speaks (1940s), a rare and fascinating series profiling pioneering ladies of the 1940s. In The Fur Coat Club (1973), two young rascals sneak into an upscale fur shop, where they confront frightening illusions and thwart real-life thieves. And none is more iconic of a young girl’s imagination then Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1981), a pedantic yet uncanny animated retelling of the children’s classic. The centerpiece of the night features a segment of Carl Dreyer’s acclaimed masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), and rounds out with Union Maids (1976), an inspiring and insightful exploration of the labor movement in the 1930s, told through the eyes of three women who bravely fought for equal rights during this period. Refined, ravishing, and rife with complexity, the ladies in this collection serve to dispel the myth of the magical woman and present something much more real — women who play, fight, and work, and look damn good doing it.

Date: Friday, June 29th, 2012 at 8:00pm

Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street San Francisco
Admission:$10.00 Limited Seating RSVP to programming@oddballfilm.com or (415) 558-8117

Featuring:

Woman Speaks (1940s, B+W)

This diverse collection documents the rise of women in the employment market, profiling professional ice skaters, cheeky cartoonists, savvy business women and visionary female fashion designers.

The Fur Coat Club (1973, Color)

Girls will be girls in this playful if odd story about a pair of nine-year-olds who chase after old ladies and pimps to stroke their soft fur coats. Luckily, their mischief is rewarded, and the girls move onto something even more compelling: relationships.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1981, Color)

Never one to be content reading under a tree, Alice foregoes the stationary life and embarks on a psychedelic adventure. Beautiful and dangerous, this fantasy world may be more true to life than she realizes.

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, B+W)

You may not be Anna Karina, but this classic by Danish auteur Carl Dreyer will certainly move you with its masterful performance, by Renee Jeanne Falconetti, and stunning composition. A cinematic experience not to be missed.

Union Maids (1976, B+W)

This compelling doc unearths the vivacious history of the 1930s women’s labor movement, told through the experiences of three workers who rapidly became rank-and-file activists, union organizers, and socialist leaders.

Curator’s Biography
Christine Kwon is the Managing Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where she is a senior film curator. She is also producing a feature-length documentary on community leader Eddy Zheng, and is the creator/writer of the comedy series Nice Girls Crew.