An oldie but goodie, apparently.
Here's a shoutout to the Israel Film Festival (in its 20th iteration) which again is bringing us queer content. What's up: The Secrets, a 2007 film about the journey of two Jewish women to find themselves.
The film comes recommended by the Israel Embassy, as one that would be of interest to this demographic. We haven't seen it yet, so can't comment on that either way, but The Secrets is highly lauded on the internet, as above all a film about strong women, with The New York Times calling it a "feminist cri de coeur" -- "cry from the heart".
The synopsis:
In The Secrets, two brilliant young women discover their own voices in a repressive orthodox culture where females are forbidden to sing, let alone speak out. Naomi, the studious, devoutly religious daughter of a prominent rabbi, convinces her father to postpone her marriage for a year so that she might study at a Jewish seminary for women in the ancient Kabalistic seat of Safed. Naomi's quest for individuality takes a defiant turn when she befriends Michelle, a free-spirited and equally headstrong fellow student. When the pair encounters a mysterious, ailing foreigner with a disturbing past named Anouk (the iconic French actress Fanny Ardant) they begin a risky journey into forbidden realms. In the hopes of easing her suffering, Naomi and Michelle secretly lead Anouk through a series of Kabalistic cleansing rituals. The process opens up overwhelming new horizons for the girls who find themselves caught between the rigid male establishment they grew up in, and the desire to be true to themselves, no matter the cost.
Besides the accolades Cathay listed on its website, the film was also nominated for the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and has done the gay and lesbian film festival circuit back in 2008.
Trailer here: http://youtu.be/NSQi55U5XRQ
You can get tickets at Cathay's site, and no, Sayoni is not affiliated with any of these parties.