Our roundup of the most influential female-driven films to debut at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, opening on April 15th.
By Christopher Prince
Aloft
Peruvian director Claudia Llosa’s first English language film Aloft narrates the story of a struggling mother trying to reconnect with the son she abandoned for 20 years. Jennifer Connelly’s performance as Nana Kunning, a renowned artist and healer, alongside Cillian Murphy who plays her son Ivan – a mysterious falconer, comes to a head via young journalist Jannia Ressmore (Mélanie Laurent) who instruments a chance encounter between the two. Aloft explores the experiences of life intertwined with the concepts of art, and highlights the ethos behind living life to its fullest, despite the uncertainties thrown our way.
A Ballerina's Tale
Nelson George’s kickstarter documentary, A Ballerina’s Tale, charts the life of African-American ballerina Misty Copeland from age 13 to present day. Narrated by Copeland, the film provides an insight into the competitive world of elite ballet in reaction to the glamourised 2010 Hollywood thriller, Black Swan. Copeland’s career marks an incredible achievement from a dancer considered to be not only ‘advanced’ in age, but also fuller in figure – polar opposite of the standardized long necked, waif-like silhouette implemented by the father of American ballet, George Balanchine for half a century. A Ballerina’s Tale is a deft study of race and body image within a Euro-centric environment, as ballet strives to maintain its values in mainstream popular culture.
Bleeding Heart
Directed and scripted by Scottish born Diane Bell, Bleeding Heart is the best representation of sisterly love at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. The infallible Jessica Biel plays May, a harmonious yoga instructor whose life is turned upside down with the arrival of her long-lost biological sister Shiva, played by Zosia Mamet – made famous for her role as Shoshanna in HBO’s generation-changing Girls. Shiva finds herself in an abusive relationship, winding up on the streets before the sensible May takes her under her wing, only to be dragged into Shiva’s chaotic life. Bleeding Heart is an attempt to showcase the unspoken bond between sisters, proving that two opposites can in fact learn from each other and grow.
Every Day
Selected to premiere on the opening night at the Sundance Film Festival, Gabe Spitzer’s Every Day documents the true story of Joy Johnson, who at 86 was the oldest woman to run the 2013 New York City marathon. 3 time Emmy-award winning Spitzer previously worked at HBO as a producer for 7 years before founding his own company, Beluga Pictures. Created as a 12 minute short for ESPN, Every Day is an inspiring story of an avid marathon runner defying the odds and pursuing her passion for sport, and for life.
Grandma
A tryst between the past and future informs Paul Weitz’s charming feature narrative, Grandma. The film’s two main protagonists portrayed by 75-year old Lily Tomlin as Elle Reid, an aging poet mourning the death of her longtime partner, and 21-year old Julia Garner as Sage, Reid’s teenage granddaughter - who turns up unexpectedly on her doorstep with a hidden agenda, embroil in an urban road trip on the wheels of a vintage Dodge. Grandma forges the character of Elle to confront her past whilst simultaneously shedding light on Sage’s future, making for an enlightening coming-of-age story ideal for the masses.
Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict
Lisa Immordino Vreeland’s debut feature documentary following the life of Harper’s Bazaar fashion editor Diana Vreeland in The Eye Has to Travel has done wonders for her latest venture titled Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Profiling the eccentric life of the great Benjamin Guggenheim’s daughter through accounts of friends and influential trendsetters, Vreeland’s stylish outing offers a rare look behind the curtains of one of the art world’s most avid patrons.
