Barbara holds up her Teddy Award for best short
and feature experimental films for 2009.
Two new films shown last night at MoMA's Documentary Fortnight
Program (Titus 1).
First, about the DIVING WOMEN ON THE SOUTH KOREAN ISLAND OF JEJU-DO - a group of women, declining in numbers now, living and diving 'dangerously' (with health issues and no insurance), scavenging the depths of the ocean for food to sell. Polluted waters are ending their only means of making a living - a living the men gave up for greener pastures long ago. Hope the young ones can find a way to equal opportunities, along with the men, as attention is drawn to their plight. Short, translated, subtitles - funny, funny remarks, made in Korean, by the women!
The second, award winner: A HORSE IS NOT A METAPHOR, shows the filmmaker fighting ovarian cancer with visions of horse riding and river swimming. The haunting sounds of Meridith Monk's music adds to the poetry of the whole. She changes illness into recovery. A happy ending celebrated last night.
Both films are as polished, and as absorbing as Barbara has ever made. An awesome presentation, indeed, at the MoMA cinema. (DVDs available - go to http://barbarahammer.com/)
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