It’s no secret that women lead rich, inner lives. From keeping their true selves secret from the public eye, to private struggles with illness, this month’s choices on VOD and the web all showcase women facing their own personal demons and secrets.
Societal pressure on women to look a certain way provides the backdrop for one of our VOD picks, “Little Miss Perfect.” A festival darling, “Little Miss Perfect” tells the story of a teenager struggling with an eating disorder as she faces the pressures of life as a high school student. One of our web series picks, “The Skinny,” also tackles eating disorders. Adapted from the autobiographical series by Jessie Kahnweiler, the series follows a YouTube filmmaker who struggles with love and life while also facing a very personal struggle with bulimia.
“The Mink Catcher” highlights a very different kind of inner life. Written as an answer to the question of how to the wives of Republican political candidates keep their composure on the campaign trail, this short film could not be more timely in today’s political climate.
Of course, it’s not all seriousness in this roundup of picks. Sometimes, the secrets women keep are comedic or genre-specific, such as two women who keep their magic a secret in “Bwitches.” A cross between “Bewitched” and “Broad City,” it follows two young witches as they try to survive Los Angeles and find out their magic can’t help them face their day-to-day problems, like creepy co-workers and Hollywood sexism.
These are this month’s VOD and webseries picks from Women and Hollywood.
VOD
“Little Miss Perfect” — Directed by Marlee Roberts
“Little Miss Perfect” tells the story of an overachieving high school freshman who desperately tries to control her life by controlling her weight. Directer Marlee Roberts says of the film “Our mission has been to connect audiences from all walks of life to understand the complexity of our protagonist’s journey and aid in a larger effort to de-stigmatize mental health taboos.” The film has had a successful festival run, most notably being nominated for Best Feature Film and winning the Emerging Actress Award at the Irvine International Film Festival. You can find “Little Miss Perfect” on iTunes.
“The Mink Catcher”— Directed by Samantha Buck and Marie Schilingmann
Set during a party in 1980’s Texas, two guests who don’t quite fit in have an encounter that could change their lives. Pete Pangburn is a politician’s wife with a coat full of secrets, and Libby Smith is a gossip columnist who zeroes in on Pete to get a scoop. Co-directors Samantha Buck and Marie Schilingmann are currently at work on a feature film, “The Big D,” which will be set in the same world as “The Mink Catcher.” You can find “The Mink Catcher” on shortoftheweek.com.
Webseries
“The Skinny” — Written and Directed by Jessie Kahnweiler
Jessie (writer and director Jessie Kahnweiler) is a YouTube filmmaker trying to juggle life, love, and creation, all while struggling with bulima. Darkly comedic, the series is based on Kahnweiler’s own battle with an eating disorder. In a personal video, Kahnweiler states that “I always felt really bad for those girls with eating disorders. Until I realized I was one of them.” The series is set to be a realistic look at the life of a young woman with bulimia, and the stigma and taboos surrounding mental illness. You can watch “The Skinny” on YouTube.
“Bwitches “— Created by Johanna Middleton and Martine Moore
Life is hard, but it should be a little easier when you’ve got magic on your side. At least, that is the premise behind “Bwitches,” a series that follows two twenty-something LA roommates who happen to be witches. Over the course of five episodes, the pair find out that magic doesn’t do away with overbearing and creepy male co-workers, or Hollywood’s sexism. With titles like “When Bwitches Read Scripts,” you know you’re in for a humorous time. You can find the whole series on YouTube.
