Outfest, a Los Angeles film festival celebrating the LGBTQ community, kicks off today, July 18. Women and Hollywood has selected five women-directed titles we’re especially excited about, including narrative films about young women falling in love, documentaries about archiving lesbian history and queer female representation on TV, and a drama about a very unhappy family.
While this preview provides a cross section of Outfest’s 2019 offerings, it is by no means exhaustive. There are plenty other films, women-directed and otherwise, exploring queer experiences to seek out. As LGBTQ protections are increasingly under fire, it’s not only important that these stories are told — it’s vital that they are seen and supported.
Outfest runs through July 28. Film synopses are courtesy of the festival.
“Carmen & Lola” (“Carmen Y Lola”) – Written and Directed by Arantxa Echevarría
“Carmen & Lola”
What it’s about: In a Roma community on the outskirts of Madrid, love flares when teenagers Carmen and Lola develop an incandescent attraction for each other. However, the religious and conservative views of their families forbid their love, challenging them to defy tradition in order to find happiness. In her Cannes Directors’ Fortnight debut, Arantxa Echevarría creates an expressive and naturalistic view of an underrepresented side of Spain, one that’s filled with colorful notes of music, passion, and culture.
Why we’re interested: In a perfect world, a person’s sexual and cultural identities would not be in conflict with one another. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world yet. Arantxa Echevarría’s solo feature directorial debut appears to be an exploration of the duality that’s present in so many societies.
Carmen and Lola’s Roma neighborhood is filled with music and warmth. But it’s also a space where same-sex relationships are unwelcome. This tension doesn’t make Carmen and Lola any less Roma — nor does it stop them from falling in love. “Carmen & Lola” suggests that a person’s sexuality does not have to live in direct opposition to their culture, but is well-aware of the fact that plenty of people — in places all around the world — would disagree.
“Billie & Emma” – Written and Directed by Samantha Lee
What it’s about: It’s the ’90s, and Emma has ensured that every facet of her life is perfect: She’s a model student, has a handsome boyfriend, and aims for a scholarship to get her out of her provincial town. But what she really wants becomes less clear as she finds herself drawn to Billie, the new girl from the big city, and is further complicated when Emma finds out she’s pregnant. Director Samantha Lee (“Maybe Tomorrow”) returns with another film exploring young, lesbian love in the Philippines with tenderness, humor, and style.
Why we’re interested: The story of “Billie & Emma” will sound familiar to many overachievers out there: you’re a high schooler in a small town, doing well but bored out of your mind, and have planned your fabulous, post-grad life down to the smallest details. And then something happens that shows you just how little you actually know about yourself and the world. Samantha Lee’s second feature looks to be a twist on the classic, “Say Anything”-esque life-changing, late-adolescent romance narrative.
Emma’s horizons aren’t broadened by a lovable, boombox-toting male slacker. Instead, they’re challenged via an unplanned pregnancy and her own burgeoning self-discovery. So, we get the pleasure of seeing a young female character become self-actualized not with the help of an 18-year-old dude, but through a relationship with another woman.
“A Dog Barking At The Moon” – Written and Directed by Lisa Zi Xiang
“A Dog Barking At The Moon”: Anton Khan/Acorn Studio
What it’s about: In this remarkable feature debut, a Teddy Jury Award winner at the Berlinale, decades of secrets and resentment wreak havoc on a Chinese family. Upon returning home to her parents, expectant mother Huang Xiaoyu is immediately embroiled in their ongoing feud, triggered by her father’s gay affairs and her fire-breathing mother’s entry into a predatory cult. Shifting nimbly between past and present, director Lisa Zi Xiang unflinchingly dissects the societally mandated repression that passes unhappiness down through each generation.
Why we’re interested: Nothing is as universal, and at the same time so specific, as family dysfunction. Lisa Zi Xiang’s directorial debut centers on the struggles of one family, from the point of view of daughter Huang Xiaoyu, while examining the long-term effects of homophobia and misogyny.
Huang’s parents are at war with one another. Her father has not been allowed to live his life freely and openly. Her mother has not been able to get what she needs in her marriage and, apparently, a cult is the only thing that relieves her sense of isolation. Instead of being a “look at my crazy family” narrative, “A Dog Barking At The Moon” looks to be an empathetic take on the devastating consequences of societal oppression.
“The Archivettes” (Documentary) – Directed by Megan Rossman
“The Archivettes”: Outfest
What it’s about: This inspiring film profiles the Lesbian Herstory Archives, a non-hierarchical, collectively-run archive that preserves the various expressions of lesbian identity, love, and solidarity. Scrappy and determined, a cross-generational team of women steward the collection from a cramped Manhattan apartment to a building of its own. As memory fades and members depart, the volunteer archivists contemplate the safeguarding and transmission of these invaluable materials — and the stories they document — to future generations.
Why we’re interested: History books are generally written by and about men, with women’s contributions omitted or minimized. As underrepresented as women are in these texts, lesbian women are altogether absent. According to its official website, the Lesbian Herstory Archives is “home to the world’s largest collection of materials by and about lesbians and their communities,” making it an indispensable resource. We’re keen to learn more about the archive — and the unconventional way it’s run — in Megan Rossman’s “The Archivettes.”
“Queering the Script” (Documentary) – Written and Directed by Gabrielle Zilkha
“Queering the Script”: Outfest
What it’s about: Gabrielle Zilkha’s latest film gathers a dynamite roster of fans, creators, and actors for an incisive discussion of the sometimes inspiring yet often troubled history of queer female representation on television. Galvanized by the upsetting trend of stereotyping, neglecting, or outright killing-off of TV’s beloved queer characters, Zilkha’s subjects beautifully articulate their frustrations and their ideas for better, more accurate, more inclusive visibility. Featuring interviews with Ilene Chaiken (“The L Word”), Angelica Ross (“Pose”), Stephanie Beatriz (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), and more.
Why we’re interested: Tara’s untimely death on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and Marissa’s short-lived exploration of same-sex love on “The O.C.” are just two of many examples of the kinds of storylines that have left fans disappointed by how queer women are represented on TV — when they’re represented at all. Bi- and lesbian characters have all too often met tragic fates and been treated as little more than masturbatory ratings fodder.
Writer-director Gabrielle Zilkha has assembled cultural consumers and producers pushing for more nuanced depictions of queer characters. We imagine that “Queering the Script” will also explore why inclusive visibility is so important — and how seeing themselves represented on-screen can make such an impact on queer viewers, young and old alike.
