FEMME: Honoring Women Globally
FEMME: Women Healing the World is an engaging documentary produced and directed by Emmanuel Itier, co-produced by Celeste Yaranall and executive produced by Golden Globe-winning actress, Sharon Stone (Casino). It explores and celebrates the role of women and their important contribution to healing the world. Itier, who also helmed the well-received world peace doc, The Invocation, shares his positive vision of women and believes the solution to inequality is to channel both masculine and feminine energies.
It is hoped that women will elevate, feel empowered in a male-dominated society, become activists for world peace, locate their yin and yang to achieve complimentary balance and spiritual oneness between the sexes.
An impressive all-star cast of articulate players includes: Stone, Marianne Williamson, Maria Conchita Alonso, Shinoda Bolen, Jean Houston, Helene Cardona, Riane Eisler, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Miriam Robbins Dexter, Karen Tate, Rickie Lee Jones, Mairead Maguire, Susie Wylie, Mira Nair and many more.
The major strength of the film is its sincere and insightful commentary. Each influential speaker represents femininity and topics for discussion range from the war, raising children and global warming. Whilst there is a collective desire to say adios to patriarchy and capitalism, two societal elements that have diminished women,Femme does not bash males or come across as too feministic.
Memorable quotes include: “People are fascinated by the archetype of The Titanic because we’re on it. WE are headed to the iceberg, so what we have to do is turn around The Titanic in time and we have to turn around NOW.” (Marianne Williamson). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Northern Ireland native Mairead Maguire advises, “We have to take back our power and say no to war.”
The interview set-ups are intimate so as to involve viewers and encourage us to transform our thinking, make positive changes and find sensible ways to guide the world. The doc avoids becoming a talking heads style piece with the inclusion of strong artistic elements such as artwork, music by Yoko Ono and a cohesive narrative written by Itier and Amanda Estremera.
Produced by Wonderland Entertainment, Femme has been getting well-deserved attention from media and audiences as well as Humanitarian Awards for Stone at The Peace Summit in Warsaw and recognition at the Independent Film Quarterly Film and Webisode Festival and the Ladyfilmmakers of Beverly Hills.