Sunday, June 9th, 6:45pm

Désiré Ecaré (Language- English) Ivory Coast, 1985,105 min

Structured around the rhythm of a dance, filmmaker Désiré Ecaré weaves a rich tapestry of textures and cadences of life in the Ivory Coast in his film Faces of Women. This film displays in a comedy of manners the changing roles of women in West Africa. In the city, the dishmonger Bernadette finds it difficult to succeed in a market circumscribed by the backward attitudes of men when she tries to convert from a barter-based to a money-based operation. Meanwhile, Fanta learns karate to speak to men in their own language: force. Politically and stylistically adventurous, this two-part film explores the links between feminism, economics and tradition in modern day Africa, ironically pointing out similar patterns in the strategies adopted by women in patriarchal societies.

This program is part of the African Film Festival.