UPON HER LIPS: GIRL POWER - Short Film Collection
- Ben Turner
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Girl Power is the new instalment in NQV Media’s short film collection Upon Her Lips continuing their anthology of lesbian shorts from around the world. This collection has gathered four diverse films from; France, Brazil and French Guiana. Take a look at each of them below.
DAUGHTER OF SIN (France)
Starring: Laure-Kenza Aazizou, Zaina Yalioua, Wafya Cachet
Director: Elhachmia Didi-Alaoui
Yasmine has moved away from her Maghrebi family, living now with her older African girlfriend. When she returns to visit for Eid, her relationships with her parents and sister are all put to the test as she watches them continue to live conservatively. She remains tight-lipped as tensions fray, with the film also remaining observational as the parents’ values jar dramatically with their daughters’. An explosive yet nuanced short that exposes the cultural gulf between first and second generation immigrants in France, this is a moving and evenly-paced film that’s at its best once it gets the wind in its sails.
A WILD PATIENCE HAS TAKEN ME HERE (Brazil)
Starring: Zélia Duncan, Bruna Linzmeyer, Camila Rocha, Clarissa Ribeiro, Lorre Motta
Director: Érica Sarmet
A middle-aged lesbian biker is filled with a new lease of life when she encounters a group of young queer women. Initially reserved, she soon finds herself relaxing into their effervescent outlook, finding joy in everything they do. A celebration of sisterhood and feminine sexuality, this sexy but defiant short is a compelling snapshot of a new generation of lesbians, while maintaining a link to those who have been before. Colourful, sensual, yet full of life, this blend of phone footage, narrative cinema and visual manifesto is a very strong short indeed.
BONNARIEN (French Guiana)
Starring: Miremonde Fleuzin, Vanessa Champlain, Rosita Pierre-Louis
Director: Adiel Goliot
Mauricette’s family have been living in French Guiana with the surname ‘Bonnarien’ - meaning “good for nothing” - since it was imposed on her ancestors once slavery was abolished. Applying to have it changed, she comes against a bureaucratic nightmare with the documents she needs spanning back generations. She finds her solace in beat poetry, which she espouses opposite the girl of her dreams, who becomes all the more impressed with her rhymes as she speaks about the things she cares about most. A compelling portrait of the modern legacy of slavery, this is an empowering portrait of a very strong protagonist.
BURIAL OF LIFE AS A YOUNG GIRL (France)
Starring: Luna Carpiaux, Aloïse Sauvage, Natacha Krief, Camille Léon-Fucien, Salomé Partouche
Director: Maïté Sonnet
Axelle has to go to her sister’s bachelorette party at a luxury spa in the mountains, but really doesn’t want to get involved in the festivities because of her breakup with her girlfriend. But it’s been six months since their separation and her sister’s patience with her fixation on the past is wearing very thin. However, when she meets Marguerite, she soon finds a reason to bring her attention back to the present. A sweet short about the group dynamics of one weekend in an isolated hotel, this character drama explores sisterhood against a luscious backdrop. And while Axelle is truly irritating, you can’t help be feel her sister’s relief when her whingeing is finally over!
Girl Power is an affecting compilation about young women facing moments of empowerment. While all are strong shorts, it is A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here that is easily the collection’s zenith.
UK Release: Out now to watch on VOD, released by NQV Media.
コメント