Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) Best of The Fests virtual film series announces The Dilemma of Desire, presented in collaboration with Ashland’s boutique, As You Like It: Love Revolution. The film will screen on AIFF’s Eventive film channel, accessible from ashlandfilm.org, from November 13-19, and will be accompanied by a Q&A with director Maria Finitzo moderated by Kim Marks, owner of Ashland’s boutique, As You Like It: A Love Revolution.
“The Dilemma of Desire is a marvel, fierce in its focus to rewrite the rules of behavior for all to follow,” said Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Hammer to Nail. “Begone, O Phallusy! The age of Cliteracy is upon us.”
“AIFF is proud to bring to its Best of the Fest monthly series The Dilemma of Desire,” said Executive Director Erica Thompson. “This brave documentary about female sexual liberation, produced by Kartemquin Films and directed by Maria Finitzo, was initially selected for AIFF2020 but was unable to be included in our virtual festival program.”
The Dilemma of Desire explores the work of four women who are shattering myths and lies about female sexual desire, bodies and — ultimately — power. Groundbreaking artist Sophia Wallace challenges long-held ideas of women with her “cliteracy” project, putting front and center the clitoris as fundamental to female orgasm. Dr. Stacey Dutton, a neuroscientist who realized she had never seen a drawing of the clitoris until she discovered Wallace’s work, is now committed to studying its biology and pushing the publishing industry to correct the deliberate omissions of the clitoris in major anatomy textbooks. With 20 years of research, Dr. Lisa Diamond is dismantling outdated notions about women’s arousal, and industrial designer Ti Chang heads Crave, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing elegant vibrators for women. Providing the embodiment of this work are the personal stories of Umnia, Becca, Jasmine, Sunny and Coriama, five young women discovering and owning their sexuality. For mature audiences.
Director’s Statement: Maria Finitzo
“It seemed like the ground we made during the sexual revolution had been lost. I was surprised by how many women were having bad sex and putting up with it. I’ve had women tell me over and over again that even though they enjoy the hookup culture, they feel like it is too much trouble to ask the person they just had a sexual encounter with for pleasure….We’ll never be equal until were seen as equal beings sexually…If you don’t think you’re worth it sexually, you’re not going to demand equal pay or feel free to behave the way you want” (from interview with Maria Finitzo at Bustle.com).
THE DILEMMA OF DESIRE
November 13-19 at ashlandfilm.org
Q&A to follow with director Maria Finitzo conducted by Kim Marks, owner of
Ashland’s boutique, As You Like It: A Love Revolution.
Tickets: $10
Director: Maria Finitzo
Producers: Maria Finitzo, Cynthia Kane, Diane Quon
Editor: Liz Kaar
Executive Producers: Barbara Kopple, Hugh Schulze, Gordon Quinn
Music: Miriam Cutler
Running Time: 108 minutes
Year: 2020
Cited by MovieMaker Magazine several times as one of the “Top 25 Coolest Festivals in the World” and one of the “Top 50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee,” the Ashland Independent Film Festival is usually held annually in April in Southern Oregon. AIFF screens 100-plus independent documentary, narrative, animation, and short films in its festival and other year-round programs in Ashland, which is nestled in the beautiful Rogue River Valley. In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, AIFF moved online for its 19th annual festival, extended its five-day event to 24 days, and was recognized by Smithsonian Magazine and MovieMaker Magazine as having one of the best virtual film festivals.