PASHKE AND SOFIA

Karin Michalski, 2003, 30 min, documentary, video, in Albanian and German with English subtitles

German director Michalski went to northern Albania to shoot this documentary on the phenomenon of ‘sworn virgins’. They are women who have decided not to marry, some of out of protest against the traditional role of women within Albanian society while others take up a man’s role, a practice that is well-known in Albanian traditions. Included are rare footages on this subject from Albanian cinema.

MANJUBEN TRUCK DRIVER

Sherna Dastur, India 2002, documentary, video, 52 min, in Hindi with English subtitles

Miss Manju is a truck driver who defies gender stereotypes. She describes herself as half Shiva, half Shakti (man/woman) who ‘doesn’t need anybody else’s power’. She runs her own business, chews betel nut, wears men’s clothes, hangs out with the boys and comes home to a girlfriend, who worries about her long hours, and a family who call her ‘big Daddy’. You may say that ‘butch dyke’ is this woman’s middle name, but hold off on the labels. This beautifully shot observational documentary, filled with close-ups of busy Indian roads and night cafes, has been structured as a poetic story of an original non-crusader and the social landscape surrounding her.






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