Focus on women at 2017 Sydney Film Festival

CAIRO – 13 June 2017: The 2017 Sydney Film Festival has an entire section dedicated to a focus on women. Featuring female filmmakers, directors and actresses, there are dozens of films with a nod to the feminist movement. The festival runs from June 7 to 18, showing screenings of hundreds of films throughout Sydney’s cinemas. Here are five feminist films you don’t want to miss.

1- The Beguiled

Starring Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, the film takes place in a girl’s boarding school three years into the American Civil War. One of the school girls discovers an injured enemy solider (played by Colin Farrell) and the matriarch (Nicole Kidman) decides they should take him in until he has recovered, a decision that leads to a major twist in the plot of this brilliant thriller. The movie was directed by Sophia Coppola, who won the title of ‘Best Director’ at Cannes for “The Beguiled” - the first woman to win this title in 56 years.

2- Manifesto

This creative film investigates the role of art and artists in society today through 13 different characters. Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett plays all 13 major characters, including a homeless man, a puppeteer, a preppy newsreader and several others.

3- Sami Blood

This Swedish film focuses on the indigenous Sami people who suffered discrimination in Sweden during the 1930s. The film was inspired by the life of director Amanda Kernelim’s grandmother. The movie is about an ambitious 14-year-old girl growing up amid the discrimination of this period of time that causes her pain and suffering. She decides to leave her family behind and start a new life and build a new identity.

4- I Am Not a Witch

Classified as dark comedy, this British-French movie is referred as the Cannes’ hidden gem. It is about a nine-year-old orphan, Shula, who is accused of witchcraft and exiled from her community to a camp for witches.

5- The Levelling

Hope Dickson Leach received awards for capturing the voices of the women in this film showing veterinarian trainee Clare, who returns to her family’s farm after her brother commits suicide. She discovers that the family has fallen apart and the farm is on the verge of closure.