North Texas Daily

Tricia Sims // Intern Writer

This week the Fem Flicks is presenting “A Crushing Love,” a film about five Latino single mothers and social activists, on Wednesday, at 4 p.m. in the Chilton Hall Media Library as an introduction to Women’s History Month in March

“When you show people a film, it becomes real and vivid, and it makes it easier to discuss and start a conversation about a particular topic,” women’s studies program coordinator Pauline Raffestin said. “You can’t go wrong with that. It just works.”

Fem Flicks is a collaboration between the UNT Media Library, Women’s Studies and the Multicultural Center.  There are three films per semester, typically on the last Wednesday of the month, and the cost is free for UNT Students.

“We try to ensure the series addresses a broad range of issues – international women’s issues, gender stereotypes, sexual assault, and body image,” said Kim Stanton, who heads the Media Library. “It’s not a student club, though students make up the majority of people who attend the screenings.”

After the film, there will be a 20 minute Q&A, led by Dr. Sandra Mendiola Garcia, history professor and part of the Latino/a and Mexican-American Studies Program.

“A lot of the things we show can be intense and a lot to take in and handle, so I think having a speaker helps the students process what they watched,” Raffestin said. “Students are always very actively participating every single time – lots of questions and lots of input.”

“A Crushing Love” is a documentary about five Chicana and Mexican single mother activists pursuing social justice in the 1960s and 70s.

“The film brings up a lot of issues that are still relevant today,” director of multicultural programming Uyen Tran-Parsons said. “We still do not have equal pay between men and women. You still do not have the same opportunities to get into college among different ethnicities. If these women were fighting for those things many, many years ago, why have we not made any more progress?”

The documentary showcases interviews with the women and their children.

“It related it back to the fact that they were not just activist, but they were mothers, wives, sisters and how being active in social justice issues affected their families and personal lives,” Tran-Parsons said.

She said the word “feminist” can have individual definitions for different people, and films provide a way for someone to find their own meaning.

“As a college student, it is probably a really good time for you to find out what your role is in the feminist group,” Trans-Parsons said. “What are your beliefs?  Do you consider yourself a feminist, and why or why not? A lot of these films guide you through that process.”

The film series attracts students from all over campus depending on the topic. Audiences range from 25 to 70 people.  The next event for Fem Flicks will be on March 26 and is called “For My Wife,” a film depicting advocacy for same-sex marriage equality.

“We try to have a wide variety of topics to appeal to more people and to make sure that we do not leave anything unexplored,” Raffestin said.

Feature photo: Women’s studies program coordinator Pauline Raffestin discusses the Fem. Flicks Films in her office on Monday afternoon. Photo by Marisa Baker / Intern Photographer