See the World Through Women’s Eyes

The world’s largest women’s film event kicks off Thursday, featuring over 100 films from 23 countries until April 16. The 11th edition of the International Women’s Film Festival in Seoul (IWFFIS) invites people of all ages and gender orientations to reexamine the world through female perspectives.

``Half-Life’’ (U.S.A.) will open the festival Thursday evening at Artreon in Sinchon, northern Seoul. Recently featured at the Sundance Film Festival, it is about a sister and brother’s reaction to their father’s desertion and the presence of their mother’s new, very young boyfriend. Asian American director Jennifer Phang will take part in the festival as a jury member in the competition section.

Moviegoers can also look forward to the world premiere of ``The Time of Our Lives,’’ which was made with funds from last year’s Documentary Ock Rang Film Award. This film documents the 14-day election campaign of Choi Hyun-sook, the first openly lesbian candidate who ran for the National Assembly.

There are films featuring youthful effeverence, such as ``The Cherry Road – Blossoming’’ (Japan) and ``Rain’’ (Bahamas), which was featured in the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. ``Rain's'' director, Maria Govan, will visit Korea for the occasion.

The festival also explores aging. One recommended piece is the documentary ``Maverick Mother’’ (Australia). Sick of waiting for the perfect partner, a 39-year-old filmmaker decides to become a single mom through artificial insemination. While waiting for the procedure, however, she becomes impregnated after dating a Swiss man. The director, Janet Merewether, will visit Seoul with her son.

Other special guests visiting from afar include Alison Reid, a Hollywood stuntwoman who directed ``The Baby Formula,’’ which will be screened in the Queer Rainbow section. The festival programmer recommends this ``funny, fake sci-fi documentary’’ about a lesbian couple that conceives their own biological child through groundbreaking scientific technology.

The winners of the Asian Short Film & Video Competition will close the festival. This year, more than 200 films from 12 countries were submitted and 18 finalists will compete. Among the contenders is a piece directed by Song Fang, the actress who starred opposite Juliette Binoche in Hou Hsiau-hsien’s ``The Red Balloon.’’

The festival also spotlights marginalized women. In addition to the film section Women’s Labor and Poverty, a forum on the subject will take place April 14 at Ewha Womans University. Another section, Media Workshop for Women Migrants, features eight pieces by foreign women living in Korea.

A day care center will be open for mothers throughout the festival. Visit http://www.wffis.or.kr/ (Korean and English) or call (02) 583-3098~9 for more information.

To learn more about the festiva, read my interview last year with the festival director Lee Hyae-kyoung.