Women's Films

Not being a woman, maybe I'm in no position to assess the success (or otherwise) of films about women. And what is meant by this term 'women's films' anyway? Films directed by women, or films about women, even if directed by men (like Julia, or An Unmarried Woman)? But that's beside the point. None of the films I saw at the festival concerned themselves solely with the treatment of women in society, nor were any as shrill in their consciousness-raising efforts as some of the things I've seen. Jorn Donner's Men Can't Be Raped is basically a detective story with social concerns attached, but reasonably enjoyable despite its stupid title. I somehow couldn't get to grips with Jeanne Moreau's Lumiere' or Gunnel Lindbloms's Paradise Place (which was 'nice', but pretty dull), but I would recommend Agnes Varda's One Sings, The Other Doesn't. It's well directed, well performed, beautifully photographed, and unashamedly a gentle comedy — except for the odd suicide or abortion along the way.