CULTURE-BOOKS | Celebrating women on screen and in print
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Sheena Suparman
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I n marking International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, why not spend the weekend celebrating the strong women and girls around you? Not because we told you to, but because they deserve love, appreciation and empowerment. We’ve curated a short list of books and movies that highlight the untold experiences or the underappreciated strength of women for the day. These include film adaptations of books, because one medium isn’t enough for these extraordinary tales.
1. ‘The First Wives Club’, 1996
There’s a reason this comedy drama has become an empowering classic for women. Most women can probably agree that hearing the first notes of “You Don’t Own Me” magically skyrockets our dopamine levels and our confidence. Based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith, the movie’s plot follows three women as they rekindle their friendship following the death of a university friend. Decades after graduation, they’re all divorced after they were dumped for younger, curvier girls. So it’s only fair that the trio join forces to seek revenge and go straight for their exes’ wallets. Like Ivana Trump said, “Ladies, you have to be strong and independent, and remember, don’t get mad, get everything.” With an all-star cast, stellar performances and killer outfits, this movie screams women’s empowerment. The moral of the story for all young women reading this: Your girlfriends are your greatest assets, and a prenup is a girl’s best friend.
Available on Apple TV
Memento Maxima Digital Marketing2. ‘Before, Now & Then (Nana)’, 2022
Happy Salma. (Courtesy of JP/Arief Suhardiman)
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From our own shores comes the true story of Sundanese woman Raden Nana, whose life in 1960s Bandung was chronicled by Ahda Imran in the novel Jais Darga Namaku (My Name is Jais Darga), which was adapted for the big screen by award-winning director Kamila Andini. After losing her family in a regional conflict, Nana rebuilds her life and marries a rich man. But her life is again turned upside down when she finds out her husband is seeing another woman, Ino. Forging an unexpected friendship with her husband’s mistress, the audience is invited to join Nana as she reconciles the pain of her present and the unresolved trauma of her past. Balancing society’s expectations of what a woman should be and what she wants as a person, Nana strives to seek the meaning of freedom, with Ino by her side. The film, released in Indonesian titled Nana, had its international premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2022. It then went on to win accolades at the Brussels International Film Festival, Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and a whole host of Citra awards, dubbed the “Indonesian Oscars”.
Available on Amazon Prime Video Read also: Elevate your date night
3. ‘Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982’, 2019
(Courtesy of Vidio)
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Based on the best-selling 2016 novel by South Korean author Cho Nam-joo, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 is based on the real-life experiences of Korean women. It follows the journey of the titular character, who suddenly starts speaking and acting like other women she knows, including deceased relatives. Triggered by a series of misogynistic yet normalized incidents, her descent into madness forces us to confront the horrors women suffer on a daily basis. Describing her work as a feminist novel, Cho said the story contained statistical data, “so that its message wouldn’t be dismissed as a made-up account of one woman’s experience”. She also said she wished that the characters she created could be vessels containing experiences that were common to every Korean woman, from the discrimination to sexual harassment that plagues our society today.
Available on Vidio
4. ‘Bad Feminist: Essays’, 2014
The theme of IWD 2024 is “Inspire Inclusion”, and nothing embraces this as clearly as Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay. This collection of essays explores what it means to be a feminist while also enjoying things that may be at odds with the feminist ideology. Through her own words, Gay also untangles the very complicated thoughts and her evolution as a woman of color in the United States. “I worry about dying alone, unmarried and childless, because I spent so much time pursuing my career and accumulating degrees. This kind of thinking keeps me up at night, but I pretend it doesn’t because I am supposed to be evolved. My success, such as it is, is supposed to be enough if I’m a good feminist,” she writes. Her essays will leave readers with more freedom to express their thoughts about feminism and what it means to them as individuals.
Available at local bookstores, including Gramedia
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5. ‘The Woman King’, 2022
Viola Davis. (Courtesy of Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock)
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We might have missed this powerful film in local cinemas two years ago, but it is now available at a click of our fingers. Set in 1800s West Africa, The Woman King tells the fictionalized story of Gen. Nanisca, the leader of an all-female army that fought for her people’s liberation and the abolishment of slavery. Starring Viola Davis, the film follows her journey as she accepts her past and evolves from victim to hero. The concept of an all-female army in movies is no longer new, embodied in Black Panther, Wonder Woman and Valkyrie from the Thor franchise. But The Woman King is even more empowering because it is closer to reality: It is based on the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 17th to 19th centuries. As the movie proves once again that women are powerful, it is also important to note its connection to this year’s IWD theme of inclusion. Hollywood studios reportedly turned it down at first, saying it was unlikely to turn a profit, while others wanted to cast light-skinned, better-known actresses for the lead role. The filmmakers refused to cave in, for historical accuracy and their intended audience, and we are now blessed with this amazing movie that celebrates “Black girl magic”.
Available on Netflix
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This article is part of The Weekender, which comes out on the Saturday edition of The Jakarta Post. It offers a variety of lifestyle and culture articles aimed at enriching your reading experience. Subscribe here to get access to the Saturday edition and all other premium content from the Post.
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The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Wed, March 6, 2024
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