Sunday the 8thof March marked the annually celebrated International Women’s day, and in turn people across the globe rallied together in support of equal rights, and to protest against the gender discrepancies affecting women from all backgrounds. Bristol’s celebrations saw crowds march through the city centre and up Park street, while local venues celebrated the sentiments of the day in a multitude of imaginative ways.  

Bristol’s art-house cinema, Watershed, partook in IWD by screening the Feminista Film Festivals 2020 tour, which showcased inspiring short stories from women and girls. Following the viewing, attendees were invited to share their responses to what they’d seen, as a means of encouraging group discussion.

The initial reaction to the films in question from myself and those I attended the event with, was largely positive. Each film was of varying length ranging from three to twenty-five minutes, and yet every single one was emotive and empowering in some form or another. My primary criticism of the Feminista Film Festivals selection was that it failed to incorporate enough diversity within its narratives. Organiser of Watershed’s event Rebecca Ballard’s decision to include two additional films that gave a platform to women of colour was redeeming, although it is a shame that other screenings across the UK would have missed out on these two incredible short films by Veena Rao and Sarah Menzies. 

Despite the important issue of diversity, a question that appeared to dominate discussion following the event was whether or not the very personal narratives that accounted for a large percentage of the films, could really be termed ‘feminist’.  In the way discussion encourages its participants to reflect, this particular question encouraged me to consider how the accounts of everyday women are just as important today as the heroic figures of household names such as Greta Thunberg and Angela Davis. 

Feminism as a movement, a concept and an ideology is constantly evolving. It is perhaps typical of first and second wave feminist movements to consider gender inequality on a macro scale and yet in an increasingly globalised world I argue the smallest narratives ought not to be left out of the bigger picture. 

For many women, especially young women, women of colour, and those from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, the representation of personal narratives within the arts are the most relatable means of showing how women embody feminism within their day-to-day lives. We do not all possess a platform from which to create far-reaching change across the world, however we can continue to spread awareness of the issues affecting those who face discrimination to the most damaging extent. 

The personal narratives of the Feminista Film Festival included those of Mirna Valerio – a cross country runner from Brooklyn, using her story to refute the stereotypes associated with larger bodies – and Hannah Maia who used open water swimming as a means of overcoming the identity struggles she faced following a miscarriage. Both of these films showcase immense feats of strength and determination in seemingly ordinary contexts, and yet that is what makes them so emotive and powerful. In day-to-day life women face their own struggles and yet each one of us have tales of small merit. 

On international women’s day many of us will celebrate those who fuelled large scale change for women across the globe and at the same time we will all take a moment to appreciate the women who surround us, who raised us, nurtured us and made us feel capable. These micro narratives and small acts of liberation should not be discounted, because arguably it is the individual acts of the collective that create the most far reaching change.