A Permanent History of Women Filmmakers: Joan Micklin Silver
A daring pioneering filmmaker, Joan Micklin Silver accomplished her first two feature films, Hester Street and Between the Lines at a time when the direction of fiction projects was reserved for men. Forming an ambitious duo with husband Raphael D. Silver (she directed, he produced), she quickly established a reputation with the public and independent American cinema. Marked by her Jewish heritage and the issues of her time, Joan Micklin Silver’s filmography questions and contrasts key themes of American society such as tradition, modernity, independence and uprooting. A discovery thanks to Cohen Films.
Three other films by female directors will complete the series, allowing us to revisit past editions, with works then unavailable and since restored: Audiences can savour films by Lina Wertmüller, Ida Lupino and Wanda Jakubowska.
With the support of 
Director
Hester Street by Joan Micklin Silver (1975, 1h31)
New York, 19th century. Jack, a Jewish immigrant, had departed from Russia three years ago, ahead of his wife Gitl and his son. Settled in the US, he can now bring them over to join him…. A beautiful black and white work for a first feature film, immediately acclaimed, earning an Oscar nomination for actress Carol Kane.
Comœdia Sun.11 11:15 am | Lumière Institute Mon.12 10:30 am | Lumière Terreaux Wed.14 5:45 pm
Between the Lines by Joan Micklin Silver (1977, 1h41)
The editorial staff of The Back Bay Mainline, an independent Boston newspaper, is going through a period of crisis. The daily is threatened by a buyout by a press tycoon… An ensemble cast film with hints of a comedy of manners, on the bursting of a utopian bubble.
Villa Lumière Sat.10 11 am | Lumière Terreaux Mon.12 5:30 pm | Comœdia Wed.14 11:15 am
A Fish in the Bathtub by Joan Micklin Silver (1998, 1h37)
Sam and Molly have been married for 40 years but can never stop bickering. After the arguments become overwhelming, Molly decides to move in with her son Joel... A taste of popular culture of America in the 1960s, with Mark Ruffalo.
Lumière Terreaux Thu.15 5 pm | Villa Lumière Fri.16 8 pm
Producer
On the Yard by Raphael D. Silver (1978, 1h41)
In a Pennsylvania penitentiary, Chilly and his men rule over the courtyard. Incarcerated for murder, Juleson quickly goes into debt with the gang leader… The Micklin-Silver couple switches roles for On the Yard, with Raphael directing for the first time and Joan producing.
Lumière Terreaux Tue.13 5:30 pm | Comœdia Fri.16 5:45 pm
Permanent History of Women Filmmakers : a look back at…
Ida Lupino (Lumière 2014)
Outrage by Ida Lupino (1950, 1h15)
A young employee is preparing her upcoming wedding. One evening, arriving home from work, she is assaulted and raped… Ida Lupino depicts, with determination and highly masterful directing, the delicate subject of rape and the indelible harm it causes.
Lumière Institute Sat.10 2:45 pm | Lumière Bellecour Tue.13 8:30 pm | Pathé Bellecour Fri.16 9:15 pm
Comètes (Lumière 2017)
The Last Stage by Wanda Jakubowska (Ostatni etap, 1948, 1h51)
Deported to Auschwitz, Marta Weiss becomes an interpreter for the concentration camp authorities. She tries to set up a resistance network… Filmed at Auschwitz, where the director was interned during the war, The Last Stage is a film of rare power, and a key work in Polish cinema.
Pathé Bellecour Sun.11 2:30 pm | Pathé Bellecour Tue.13 2:45 pm | Cinéma Opéra Wed.14 2:45 pm
Lina Wertmüller (Lumière 2019)
The Basilisks/The Lizards by Lina Wertmüller (1963, 1h25)
In a small town in southern Italy, three friends bask in their daily routine and uneventful lives... A first foray into filmmaking for the Italian director, celebrated at Lumière last year. A slice of life of provincial youth, served by brilliant staging.
Cinéma Opéra Tue.13 5:15 pm | Pathé Bellecour Thu.15 7:15 pm
