Kim Longinotto Season at the ICA
11 - 31 August
Sisters in Law
An uplifting and enlightening documentary from Kim Longinotto and Florence Ayisi. Justice in the Muslim village of Kumba Town, Cameroon, is overseen by the progressive female partnership of prosecutor Vera Ngassa and court president Beatrice Ntuba, who together help women to speak out and fight back against assumptions of patriarchal privilege in modern-day Africa. A young girl who has been raped, a six-year-old who has beaten with a coat-hanger and a wife seeking divorce from her abusive husband are all given the sort of support that extends beyond legal advice and becomes a crucial act of empowerment. A warm, witty and involving portrait of two remarkable characters and an example of grassroots action at its most effective, Sisters in Law is that rare thing — a film that makes you believe things might actually get better rather than worse.
Dirs Kim Longinotto, Florence Ayisi, UK 2005, 104 mins, Subs
13, 25, 26, 27 Aug
Divorce Iranian Style
A vibrant journey into the world of Iranian divorce courts, where women must mount string cases along very specific lines if they are to have any hope of leaving their husbands. Co-directors Longinotto and Ziba Mir-Hosseini almost become part of the proceedings as stories, accusations and denials swirl thick and fast around them, their fly-on-the-wall technique capturing all the frustration and jubilation felt by the female subjects going through this patriarchal bureaucratic system. A brilliant, exhilarating documentary.
Dirs Kim Longinotto, Ziba Mir-Hosseini, UK 1998, 80 mins, Subs
12, 26, 29 Aug
Dream Girls, plus Shinjuku Boys
A double-bill of Japanese-set gender-themed documentaries. Dream Girls follows the women who perform in the Takarazuka Revue, a liberating performance spectacle in which the all-female cast act out romantic fantasies by playing young male characters. Shinjuku Boys takes us into the New Marilyn nightclub, where women take on the role of male hosts for their female clientele.
Dirs Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams
Dream Girls: UK 1994, 50 mins, Subs Shinjuku Boys: UK 1995, 53 mins, Subs
There will be a five-minute break between the two films in this programme
19, 27, 28 Aug
The Day I Will Never Forget
With stories and testimonies — cultural, social, personal — from a wide range of women, Longinotto’s documentary explores the practice of female circumcision in Kenya. This powerful film introduces us to those fighting against something that has left young women scarred and traumatised, although Longinotto makes sure there’s room for older generations to defend the tradition. At the film’s centre is one Nurse Fardhosa, who moves from one village to the next using persuasion and education to bring about an end to the ritualistic mutilation. A fascinating, complex film that brings together a wide-range of voices, feeling and experiences.
Dir Kim Longinotto, UK 1996, 90 mins, Subs
20, 30, 31 Aug
Gaea Girls
A tough, unrelenting look at Japanese female wrestling, following one young aspiring professional as she goes through the harsh rigours of training. Longinotto and co-director Jano Williams give the film a ‘you are there’ feel, so much so that you may feel you’re ready to step into the ring alongside main protagonist Saika Takeuchi by the end of it. The film also details the psychological demands that run parallel with the physical punishment — the coach-and-athlete relationship detailed here is a million miles from the Hollywood version of such stories.
Dir Kim Longinotto, UK 2000, 104 mins, Subs
ICA, The Mall, London, SW1. Tickets & Box Office information: 020 7939 3647 / www.ica.org.uk
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