Montreal's African film festival puts ladies first this year

If you've had enoughof the UNICEF commercials and media reports focusing solely onwar and famine across the continent of Africa, you should spend some time checking out the offerings at the 34th edition of Vues d'Afrique International Film Festival.

From the descriptions in the programming, and from the few films I managed to get as screeners,the variety of African stories told on film challengessome of the world's engrainedattitudes towards the people of its largest continent.

88 films from 33 countries

You can choose by your preference of genre, style, length, country or even themes. That includes films about human rights, films that focus on family, international documentaries and more experimental worklike movies made in a hundred hours.

There's also a section dedicated to work producedby Canadian filmmakers exploringAfrican stories outside of the continent.

Quebec filmmakerHelen Choquette'smovie, Un caillou dans une botte,brings viewersall the way to Florence, Italy where Senegalese merchants are trying to thrive.

One of the main goals of this year's lineupis to highlight female filmmakers and will feature 35 films made by women.

Women's perspective

"Putting women in front, finally. [Female] directors and creators are at the forefront of the festival and this is a first," said the festival's co-spokesperson and owner of V Kosmetik, Vickie Joseph.

"As a businesswoman, as a woman working in a man's world, it's hard enough," she said. "If we're taking more and more space economically, we're going to grow globally."

In addition to honouring femalefilmmakers, the festival has planned a day-long conference on Apr. 17 to highlight their work.

Must-see flick

A Day for Women,by director Kamla Abu Zekri, had me in stitches. I was cheering the entire time for the threeheroines and the entire cast, really.I'm even more appreciative of this film, knowing that one of the talented main actresses,ElhamShahin,is also the film's producer.

Set in a neighborhood in Cairothat the residents call "the alley" ascandal is unleashed when a public pool opens and Sundays are designated as the only day women can swim.

But at this standard outdoor pool, as well as in the alley itself, we witness beautiful stories of sisterhood, love, loss,realities of poorer communities and the importance of family bonds.

The feminist messaging is effortless, just making it a natural way for women to behavespeaking up for themselves, with or withoutheadscarves, marital status or formal education. The male characters are equally diverse.

The film also featuressomepopular Egyptian actors namely, father and son,Faroukand AhmedEl-Feshawy.

The fest is screening the French subtitled version of thefilm.

Diverse lineup

Most films atVuesd'Afriquehave two screenings and are mostly subtitled in French. But there are seven films targetingan English-speaking audience.

You're also in luck if you speak Arabic,Wolof, Swahili,Chewa,Bemba, or other Indigenous languages from across the ontinent and within itsdiasporathere are a few films in Haitian Creole, as well as Madagascar Creole.

The34thedition ofVuesd'AfriqueInternational Film Festival kicks offFriday, Apr.13, and runs for ten days, with screenings at both theCinemathqueandCinmaImperial.