What do you get when you mix one part vigilante assault victim, two parts seafaring wild young women, and a combination of unique directors from all over the world? That’s right! The Final Girls Berlin Film Fest Wrath short block! From a woman taking justice into her own hands to a group of girls grappling their freedom from the hands of abusive systems, this three-part series of shorts has it all.
First up is “Dana”, written and directed by Lucía Forner Segarra. Here we meet Dana (Thais Blume), exhausted from work and just looking to make her way home to bed. An encounter with a man on the street turns violent, and soon she decides to take matters into her own hands, to protect herself and others, a choice with farther reaching consequences than she ever imagined. Clocking in at just under 19 minutes, it is the shortest film on offer in the section, but perhaps the most widely uplifting. Sure, an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, but isn’t that kind of fantasizing what art is for? “Dana” is a tale of reckoning with the past and opening possibilities of the future, all while allowing yourself the space to be angry.
Next is “Menarca”, written by Lillah Halla and Líbia Perez and directed by Lillah Halla. The first of the wrath section to center a young woman confronting the unforgettable, “Menarca” gives us the story of Nanã (Amanda Yamamoto) and Mel (Nathally Fonesca), two young girls in a Brazilian village overrun with piranha who discover a way to free themselves from a looming threat in their village thanks to a catch brought home by predatory local fisherman José (Dinho Lima Flor)—a female sea creature (Amanda Dourado) with as much bite to her as bark. The girls come to an agreement with the creature, named Baubo. Her freedom in exchange for a lesson that just might save them. “Menarca” is perhaps the strongest entry in the Wrath section thanks to its poignant, purposefully understated storyline. Anyone familiar with even the concept of feminine wrath can pick up the pieces of Nanã’s life and see the thing she and her friend aren’t able to tell. At turns heartbreaking and vital, fantastical and all too real, it’s a perfect quiet study on coming together to free one another from a monster that may sometimes seem too big to face alone.
Speaking of young girls coming together to face down the unthinkable, “Massacre”, written by Pierre Cazeau and directed by Maïté Sonnet, is ready to deliver with deadly precision. When two sisters discover they must soon move away from their island home to the mainland to save money, they concoct a plan in an effort to secure their return. This is no ordinary commentary piece, however. “Massacre” has a kind of poetic bite that will linger in your mind long after its 20 minutes are up. From poisoned land to tourist class clash, Inès (a haunting Lila Gueneau Lefas) and her sister leave their stories as collateral damage of wealthy idealism splayed in the sun for us to choke on, even as they ride off with smiles on their faces. The question is, are we willing to swallow the truth along with them? And are we willing to do something about it before it’s too late?
The Wrath block is perhaps the only collection on offer this year with top to bottom positive endings for every protagonist. It is, at any rate, the most joyfully feral group so far. There can never be enough stories about young women exploring their identities and potential as powerful beings in a world that seeks to mold them into something much tamer, and the shorts here are proof that, while it may occasionally be understated, there’s plenty ground left for these girls to tread. And they aren’t as afraid to lay claim to their territory as you might have thought…
Tags: Amanda Dourado, Amanda Yamamoto, Dana, Dinho Lima Flor, Film Festival, Final Girls, Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Libia Perez, Lila Gueneau Lefas, Lillah Halla, Lucia Forner Segarra, Maite Sonnet, Massacre, Menarca, Nathally Fonesca, Pierre Cazeau, short films, shorts, Thais Blume, Wrath
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