There were festivals from Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and France, and we as Flying Broom represented Turkey.
There were critics specialized on women's cinema and women's film festivals as well as festival representatives. A representative of the team which will start the first women's film festival in Brazil, was also at the meeting to observe and make use of the experiences of the participating festivals.
Our heavy program and the spring weather leaving on our first day made us forget that we were in Paris. The first day was for the participating festivals to explain their organizations and recent activities. As women who have set off for similar reasons made their presentations, I noticed with sadness that our problems are the same basically.
The presentation of one of the speakers was interrupted so often by approvals and sighs, that it was once again understood why such a formation was needed. It was surprising to observe the same primitive prejudice in the countries, which we thought, had much better conditions compared to Turkey when the subject is "women's films festival" and "women movie makers".
All the participating festivals had complaints on lack of support, and learning that financial support was lessening every year with different and blind excuses in these countries, just like Turkey, only increased my respect for the festivals growing in spite of all the difficulties.
I don't think it will be exaggeration saying that the most interesting speech was made by me. We gave a chance to the participants who know little about Turkey and the situation of women in Turkey to ask their questions on other festivals. It attracts attention and appreciation from everyone organizing a festival widely known for 7 years in a Muslim and developing country.
Creteil Women's Film Festival was the most confident one among the festivals with 26 years of experience. It might be the cultural background of France, or might be that we think of French women who are film directors whenever we speak of ones who have changed the flow of women in cinema, which gives them this confidence.
The biggest curiosity of a group of European Women's Films Festival teams was the women's films festivals in other parts of the world. It excited everyone, almost more than myself, to hear that I was to be a member of jury in Seul Women's Films Festivals in April. (The same excitement applies for Seul Women's Film Festivals as well, for being in this group.)
Flying Broom turned out to be a bridge between two continents and their festivals for everyone in the meeting. In a way, our mission of being communication center has been carried to intercontinential state. Sharing experiences from different parts of the world will be both frightening and exciting for us.
The two main topics of the meeting were building a database for women film directors and preparing a program of short films together. Feminale from Germany, Florence Women's Films Festival from Italy and Flying Broom Women's Films Festival were chosen as the selection committee of short films.
The program will go through all European Women's Films Festivals and then the ones around the world. The database will consist of the information on films shown in European Women's Films Festivals.
I had the chance to attend the closing ceremony of the festival since the meeting at Creteil was on the last two days of the festival. At the ceremony, which was quite plane but enjoyable, the jury from the festival rewarded the films they decided.
One of the short films presented to the jury belonged to the Turkish director Çagla Zencirci, at the age of 27. She was excited due to both competing in Creteil and our invitation to her film for Flying Broom Women's Films Festival.
She couldn't get the award unfortunately, but it's nice to know that we will have another women director in the years coming! Another nice incident was legendary Agnes Varda, getting a reward at the festival with a short film. Varda wasn't at the ceremony, but it made her quite happy as understood by the message she sent.
The organization which began in a remote spot of Paris suburbs 26 years ago and turned out to be one of the most well known women's films festivals around the world, has prepared a nice atmosphere to get together with sister festivals.(AO/TA/YE)
* Translated by Tugba Adali
