Born in Flames - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born in Flames
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Born in Flames
Directed by
Lizzie Borden
Produced by
Lizzie Borden
Written by
Ed Bowes
Starring
Honey
Kathryn Bigelow
Music by
Ibis
Cinematography
Ed Bowes
Al Santana
Editing by
Lizzie Borden
Distributed by
First Run Features
Release date(s)
February 20, 1983
Running time
80 mins.
Country
United States
Language
English
Born in Flames is a 1983 documentary-style feminist science fiction film by Lizzie Borden that explores racism, classism, sexism and heterosexism in an alternative United States Socialist Democracy.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Awards
4 Influence
5 Footnotes
6 External links
[edit] Plot
The plot concerns two feminist groups in New York City, each voicing their concerns to the public by pirate radio. One group, led by an outspoken white lesbian, Isabel (Adele Bertei), operates "Radio Regatta". The other group, led by a soft-spoken African-American, Honey (Honey), operates "Phoenix Radio". The local community is stimulated into action after a world-traveling political activist, Adelaide Norris (Jean Satterfield), is arrested upon arriving at a New York City airport, and suspiciously dies while in police custody. Also, there is a Women's Army led by Hilary Hurst (Hilary Hurst) and advised by Zella (Flo Kennedy) that initially both Honey and Isabel refuse to join. This group, along with Norris and the radio stations, are under investigation by a callous FBI agent (Ron Vawter). Their progress is tracked by three interns (Becky Johnston, Pat Murphy, Kathryn Bigelow) for a socialist newspaper run by screenwriter Ed Bowes, who go so far they get fired.
The story involves several different women coming from different perspectives and attempts to show several examples of how sexism plays out, and how it can be dealt with through direct action. A famous scene is one during which two men are attacking a woman on the street and dozens of women on bicycles with whistles come to chase the men away and comfort the woman. The women in the movie have different ideas about what can and should be done, but all know that it is up to them, because the government will not take care of it. The movie shows women organizing in meetings, doing radio shows, creating art, wheatpasting, putting a condom on a penis, wrapping raw chicken at a processing plant, etc. The film portrays a world rife with violence against women, high female unemployment, and government oppression. The women in the film start to get together to make a bigger impact, by means that some would call terrorism.
Ultimately, after both radio stations are suspiciously burned down, Honey and Isabel team up and broadcast "Phoenix Regatta Radio" from stolen moving vans. They also join the Women's Army, which sends a group of terrorists to interrupt a broadcast of the President of the United States proposing that women be paid to do housework, followed by bombing the antenna on top of the World Trade Center to prevent additional such destructive messages from the mainstream.
[edit] Cast
Honey as Honey
Adele Bertei as Isabel
Jean Satterfield as Adelaide Norris
Florynce Kennedy as Zella (as Flo Kennedy)
Becky Johnston as Newspaper Editor
Pat Murphy as Newspaper Editor
Kathryn Bigelow as Newspaper Editor
Hillary Hurst as Leader of Women's Army Hillary Hurst
Sheila McLaughlin as Other Leader
Marty Pottenger as Other Leader/Woman at Site
Bell Chevigny as the Talk Show Host
Joel Kovel as the Talk Show Guest
Ron Vawter as FBI Agent
John Coplans as Chief
John Rudolph as TV Newscaster
Warner Schreiner as TV Newscaster
Valerie Smaldone as TV Newscaster
This film marks the first screen appearance of Eric Bogosian.[1] He plays a technician at a TV station who is forced at gunpoint to run a videotape on the network feed. The movie also features a rare acting appearance by Oscar-winning film director Kathryn Bigelow.
[edit] Awards
In 1983, the film won the Reader Jury prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Grand Prix at the Cr¨¦teil International Women's Film Festival.
[edit] Influence
The film is discussed in Christina Lane's book Feminist Hollywood: From "Born in Flames" to "Point Break".
The film features the Red Krayola song "Born In Flames," released as a single in 1981.
[edit] Footnotes
^ "Eric Bogosian Biography". film reference. http://www.filmreference.com/film/32/Eric-Bogosian.html. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
[edit] External links
Born in Flames at the Internet Movie Database
Born in Flames at AllRovi
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Born_in_Flames&oldid=442163245"
Categories:
1983 films
American science fiction films
1980s science fiction films
Anarchist films
1980s drama films
Dystopian films
English-language films
Feminist films
American LGBT-related films
Mockumentary films
Race-related films
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This page was last modified on 30 July 2011 at 06:46.
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