«Elles Tournent – Dames Draaien»
20.09>23.09.2012 – Botanique – Brussels

ELLES TOURNENT 2012
“Looking at the world through the eyes of women,
is expanding its field of view of 180 degrees “

From the 20th till 23rd September 2012 for four days and more than twenty-five films, the festival “Elles tournent” introduces in Botanique, world premieres, classics, documentaries and fictions all directed by women.

“Roll’em Ladies !” said in 1914 Alice Guy-Blaché, the first ever female film maker.
Women are still rolling today.
Come and enjoy, their moving, inspiring and fun films at the fifth edition of the only Brussels’ international film festival dedicated entirely to films by women.

Belgian directors
Recent movies which reflect the Belgian female creativity with for example:

World premiere, a documentary by Sacha Kullberg, UNE PHILOSOPHIE DES YEUX FERMÉS – LE CORPS COMME RÉSERVE NATURELLE, questions, in times when waste management is a concern, how to consider that particular waste, the human corpse ?
A documentary by Eva Houdová, PARLER AVEC ELLES, how transmission between three generations of women migrants built their identity.
WOMEN AND THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION by An Van Raemdonck, a documentary about how to be a woman and fight for equality in today’s post-revolutionary Egypt.
Equally relevant: the special session ‘ ELLES DANSENT !’
In his anthology cycle of Belgian female directors Muriel Andrin (ULB), we discover the eyes of two Belgian filmmakers, André Marie and Chantal Akerman, on the work of two essential choreographers, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Pina Bausch.

As opening film, UFO IN HER EYES FICTION (China) from Xiaolu Guo : Yun’s life changes when she sees a UFO. Humour and unbridled liberalism in China.
ZEFIR by Belma Baş. Zefir, Turkish movie about a strong-willed eleven-years old girl, who spends her summer at her grandparents’ country house in an overwhelming countryside. All the while she deeply longs for her mother …
SALT WHITE (Georgia) by Keti Machavariani. In post-Soviet Georgia, 35 year-old Nana struggles to accomplish her dreams ….
ONE. TWO. ONE (Iran) by Mania Akbari is a story of pretty girl in a love triangle against the background of electronic communication. In a society where social customs are based on the beauty of a woman, her challenge is to find self-confidence and inner beauty when she loses her physical beauty.
OUR HOMELAND (Japan) by Yang Yonghi, is the story of an impossible return. After 25 years in North Korea, Sonho returns to Japan. The story of a family and the damages caused by dictatorship.
What about documentaries ?
WORK HARD PLAY HARD, (Germany) by Carmen Losmann, a documentary about how our working conditions are designed by DHR and architects.
FAMILY MEALS (Croatia) by Dana Budisavljević, a documentary about secrets and stomach cramps: family meals … We all need to be accepted by our loved ones.

Also a special focus on ‘Spoken Word’ with three documentaries where women use the strength of words in their own way with poetry, Hip Hop and Rap :
AUDRE LORDE – The Berlin years 1984 tot 1992 by Dagmar Schultz
Impressionist portrait of one of the founders of black feminism, cult writer and poet.
SAY MY NAME by Nirit Peled, documentary about Women’s Hip Hop, turning adversity into art (Mc Lyte, Monie Love, Roxanne Shanté …..).
SARABAH by María Luisa Gambale & Gloria Bremer, a documentary about Sister Fa: the great Senegalese rap singer and her fight against female genital mutilation.
This year, Elles Tournent organizes three masterclasses and a Reflection & Action Day for professionals and cinema lovers :
Masterclass by Xiaolo Guo (in English): about the correlation between her film and her novel ‘UFO in her Eyes’.
Masterclass by Patrice Toye and Ina Vandewijer (in Dutch): centered on the dynamics between the two writers and the creative process of Toye’s new feature film ‘Little Black Spiders’.
Masterclass by Marie-Jeanne Wyckmans (in French), foley artist and sound designer : on the importance of sound creation in films.
Reflection & Action Day ‘Women behind the Camera in Europe’ : For her 5th edition, Elles Tournent focuses on the position of women filmmakers in the European audiovisual sector and organizes”WOMEN BEHIND THE CAMERA IN EUROPE”, with a Reflection & Action Day for professionals, and a public projection followed by debate in Cinematek.

Promoting equality
The award Cinégalité organized by the Council of French speaking Women from Belgium (CFFB) and the award Cinemagelijk organized by the Vrouwenraad will be awarded to a young filmmaker from a French university or a Dutch university which approach the issue of gender relations in a new and non-stereotypical perspective.
Cinematek
In collaboration with Cinematek : the documentary Toma Cero.Pionera by Rosa Blas Traisac is about the importance of five female directors in the history of Spanish cinema. Passion prevails.
Party
Saturday night, a party in Café Bota, with great female DJs.
Sunday night, Botanique organized a crazy and explosive concert of the London choir ‘Gaggle’. Deborah Coughlin and 20 women will create a perfectly choreographed cacophony.
More than 20 directors are announced!
Debates, meetings with directors and many other things …
The 5th edition of Festival de Films de Femmes de Bruxelles ‘Elles Tournent’ will take place from 20 till 23 september 2012 in Botanique.
Botanique : 236 Rue Royale, 1210 Bruxelles