Producer/Actor Frances McDormand accepts the MVFF45 Mind the Gap Ensemble Award on behalf of director Sarah Polley, and the WOMEN TALKING ensemble and sits down for a conversation with Mind the Gap and Mill Valley Film Festival Director of Programming Zoë Elton.
Powerful, committed performances by an extraordinary ensemble-including Frances McDormand, Judith Ivey, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Ben Whishaw-take us deep into the lives of a group of women as they confront a life-and-death decision: To remain in silence, or to leave in exile. Much of the action occurs in the confined setting of a village barn in their isolated Mennonite colony-located somewhere both far from our modern world and too painfully close for comfort-where the women gather secretly to determine a course of action in the wake of an urgent crisis that has affected all of their lives. In the supremely capable hands of director Sarah Polley (Away from Her, Stories We Tell), Miriam Toews’ best-selling novel unfolds as a deeply human drama driven by extraordinary performances in this profound, moving film. Based on true events, Women Talking is an exhilarating paragon of collective organizing and female agency that may well be the prescient wake-up call for our times. -KD Davis
WOMEN TALKING is a United Artists Releasing release.
Mind the Gap is the California Film Institute’s platform for inclusion and equity, amplifies and champions filmmaking by women, non-binary people, and other marginalized groups. Alongside our celebration of filmmaking from diverse perspectives, the platform is committed to challenging prevailing industry narratives regarding women, BIPOCs, queer people, and people with disabilities.
We are grateful for the support of our Mind the Gap sponsors: Resonance Philanthropies, Christine A. Schantz, Marin Community Foundation, Netflix, and LUNA.
MVFF45 Presented by CAFILM
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