Special Events

Saturday, March 12th, 8pm: Panel Discussion: “Action on Health and the Environment”

Many of the films in this year’s Brattleboro Women’s Film Festival feature women taking action to look for answers and fight for change with regard to social, environmental, political, and cultural conditions that threaten women’s ability to participate fully in all aspects of our societies. Several of the films focus on health and environmental issues and the ways these two themes are interrelated. “One in 8: Janice’s Journey,” asks questions about why the incidence of breast cancer continues to rise. In
“Dam/age," Indian writer and activist Arundhati Roy takes a key role in a bold and controversial campaign against a huge hydroelectric dam project which could displace up to a million people. And “Roots of Change,” a work-in-progress, provides a portrait of the inspiring and articulate Nobel prize-winning activist Wangari Matthai, whose green-belt movement in Kenya is being replicated in many other parts of the world. These three films will provide the context for a panel discussion on Saturday night, March
12th, following the presentation of “Dam/age ,” and “Roots of Change.” The purpose of the panel is to pull together ideas about how viewers can channel the energy of these films into local and/or international action on health and environmental issues. Participants in the panel are: "One in Eight" Director Cindy McKeown; biologist Rita Arditti, who has spearheaded work on cancer and environmental issues with the Women's Community Cancer Project in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Debbie Katz, Executive Director of the western Massachusetts based Citizen's Awareness Network, who will discuss CAN's research into health effects of low-level radiation; and Kenyan advocate for women's health, Protasia Gathendoh. The panel discussion will take place at approximately 8:00pm, immediately after the 6:30pm showing of 'Dam/age' and 'Roots of Change'.

Sunday, March 13th, 1:30pm: Director's Introduction and Discussion
One in Eight: Janice’s Journey: A Film by Cynthia A. McKeown

Cindy McKeown will present her film One in 8: Janice’s Journey, and answer questions afterwards.

“One in Eight: Janice’s Journey” came about when someone McKeown knew was diagnosed with breast cancer. McKeown offered to videotape what lay ahead for Janice Fine, and commenced what became almost a decade-long collaboration, resulting in a profound and intimate portrait of a cancer survivor. McKeown called her documentary “One in Eight: Janice’s Journey” because “although the film focuses on one woman’s very personal experience with breast cancer, it also provides a context for understanding the larger impact of breast cancer on our society.” While making the film Fine and McKeown learned that the incidence of breast cancer in all age groups has risen by about 50% in the past 50 years, and they wanted to know why. McKeown hopes the film will encourage more people to ask that question, and to follow it up with “How can we reverse this terrible trend?” The film confronts the difficult choices that women diagnosed with breast cancer face, but McKeown also wanted to tell “a hopeful story of someone getting through this experience with humor and courage, and coming out on the other side of it truly embracing her life.” McKeown hopes viewers will be galvanized into action, to “join with others who are searching for answers....I want people to feel that the goal should not be limited to surviving breast cancer...The goal is preventing others from having to go through this terrible experience.”Introduction precedes the 1:30pm showing of 'One in 8: Janice's Journey'; Discussion will take place at approximately 3:30pm, following the showing of 'One in 8: Janice's Journey' and 'Still Doing It: The Intimate Lives of Women Over 65'.

Sunday, March 13th at 5:30pm: Teen Panel
Reflections on Growing Up in Rural Vermont

Following the 4 p.m. Women's Film Festival screening on Sunday, March 13, 2005, of Nothing Like Dreaming, directed by Vermont's Nora Jacobson, a panel of local teens will share their experiences growing up in Vermont. The film, set in rural Vermont against the backdrop of the state capitol, features a cast of local and Vermont teens and adults. Touching such universal themes as grief, guilt and teen death; communication between parents and teens; bonds between other adults and teens; substance use and abuse; mental illness; law enforcement; politics; and the perennial question "What do we do in our free time?," the high school panelists will discuss their own coming of age in southern Vermont as compared with the experience portrayed in the film. Director Nora Jacobson will be on hand to answer questions and talk about her film. The teen panel discussion is scheduled for 5:30 - 6:45 PM, immediately following the 4:00 PM showing at the Latchis Theatre.

The public is welcome to attend, especially teenagers. Early arrival for the 4 p.m. screening is recommended, as Women's Film Festival screenings often sell out.

The moderator for the teen panel will be Julia Hampton, coordinator of the Youth Initiative of Windham County and H.E.Y.! Help Empower Youth. Julia joined the Windham County community in fall 2002. She graduated from Gordon College with a degree in social work and moved to Brattleboro to serve as an Americorps VISTA member with United Way and the Alliance for Building
Community. In her work as an Americorps member and now coordinator of a countywide initiative for youth, Julia has been committed to providing leadership opportunities for youth, increasing the capacity of the youth service delivery system, and inspiring all community members to support youth to ensure that all youth grow up healthy and successful.

Saturday, March 19th at the 6:30pm screening of Divan: Director's Introduction and Q&A

Pearl Gluck, director of Divan will introduce her film, and briefly answer questions afterwards.

Sunday, March 20th, at approximately 3pm (following the 1:30pm screening of Divan): Director's Discussion

Pearl Gluck, director of Divan, will lead a discussion after her film. The focus will be on autobiographical film, the lines between personal, traditional, familial, and historical, and how a camera acts as witness and mentor through the journey.

Sunday, March 20th at approximately 8pm (following the Films Downside Up and Sweet Soil): Panel Discussion - Art, Agriculture, and the Revitalization of Communities.

Western Massachusetts filmmakers Nancy Kelly (in Downside Up) and Laura Meister and Erica Spizz (in Sweet Soil) document ways in which art and agriculture each can play a critical role in the recovery of communities and regions. Ironically, though, artists and farmers are amongst the poorest paid members of those communities. In Downside Up, Nancy Kelly investigates what happens when the town of North Adams, against huge odds, decides to invest its energy into nurturing art, artists, and the and a spirit of hope
that art can inspire. In Sweet Soil, Meister and Spizz paint a portrait of regional renewal as a local food coop invests in supporting and nurturing its farmers. Brattleboro and Bellows Falls, VT are two more communities which have looked to both art and agriculture as a means to economic and cultural revitalization. On this panel (guests to be announced!) advocates for art and agriculture discuss with the film audience what has to happen to make these relationships among artists, farmers, and communities mutually
nurturing.