By Kirsten Larvick
Made as part of series for German Television (ZDF) in 1986, Seven Women Seven Sins, proved to be an exceptional collaboration of 1980’s independent #DirectedByWomen cinema.
Representing five countries, the film explores the seven deadly Biblical sins through the inspired eyes of seven women filmmakers (five from Europe, two from the U.S.).
Working in various disciplines, each director was offered creative freedom to interpret their capital vice of choice.
Both quirky and innovative, the omnibus that is Seven Women Seven Sins brought together Chantel Akerman’s Sloth, Maxi Cohen’s Anger, Valie Export’s Lust, Laurence Gavron’s Envy, Bette Gordon’s Greed, Ulrike Ottinger’s Pride, and Helke Sander’s Gluttony, to consider the individual sins through distinctly different approaches.
Interpretations range from Sander’s take on gluttony in a re-imagining of Adam & Eve in a hyper-stylized Garden of Eden set as a depiction of modern male/female relationships, to Cohen’s provocative non-actor interviews mined from actual responses to a Village Voice ad. Both the hysterical and deeply disturbing emerge when Cohen invites everyday people to reveal on camera what churns below the surface. Gordon presents greed as a noir tale brought to life (and death) between to ladies in a women’s lounge. And only the beloved Ackerman can insert herself into the story of an artist’s struggle against sloth, and leave you wanting more.
Though each ZDF segment was produced separately, the episodic, Seven Women Seven Sins that broadcast within the regular series Das Kleine Fernsehspiel was a true collaborative effort. But it was Cohen who helmed the film version, which joined the sins into a 101-minute film, living on to receive festival honors worldwide.
Seven Women Seven Sins is a rare uniting these seven iconoclastic independent women artists under a stirring theme that encouraged adventurous storytelling. Looking at this work today in the context of 1980s cinema and what the individual artists were exploring (as well as their peers Lizzie Borden, Sara Driver, Susan Seidelman, Mira Nair, Sally Potter, and others), it’s clear that this period enjoyed great creative courage.
Come September 26th and September 27th, 2018, The Quad will show Seven Women Seven Sins. Don’t miss Cohen and Gordon’s post-screening Q&A on the 26th.
For tickets and information visit https://quadcinema.com/film/seven-women-seven-sins/
The Women’s Film Preservation Fund awarded a grant to this unique contribution to the art of cinema, but because of the varied formats of film and video that were used, and other complexities, it’s a more expensive preservation than originally estimated. It is essential to our film record to save works by these important women makers. Though copies of the film are around, the remaining materials are at risk. To help support the preservation of Seven Women Seven Sins, please consider support today. Visit https://www.nywift.org/donate/donate-to-the-wfpf/.
womens film preservation fund
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Delfine Paolini
Welcome to NYWIFT, Delfine Paolini! Delfine is a multifaceted filmmaker whose critically recognized work explores themes of life and loss. Her unique and powerful visions draw from an intimate familiarity of cinematic storytelling, philosophy, and a deeply thoughtful reflection of self. Her feature debut, A Wonderful Way with Dragons, has won numerous international awards. Its distinct style and emotional evocations are reflective of Delfine’s creative journey. Coming from a background of photography, she is highly attuned to expressive visuals. Community and mentorship have remained essential values to Delfine, who has faced both hurdles and victories on her directorial path. Delfine’s resolve and creative momentum have led to the development of multiple exciting projects. She is a director to watch; her upcoming films Le Rouge Originel, Reds Hearten, and Sky, Zyprexa, Night will continue to push boundaries and explore the profound power of the film medium. In our interview, Delfine discusses her background and inspirations.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Sophia Baldassari
Let’s welcome screenwriter, script supervisor, and playwright Sophia Baldassari to NYWIFT! She was most recently an Associate Producer on the Radio Silence thriller LOSER, directed by Colleen McGuinness. Her plays and pilots have been developed/produced at Luna Stage, George Street Playhouse, the McCarter Theatre Center, Haddonfield Plays and Players, and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and have received accolades from the O’Neill Center Young Playwrights, Theatremania Young Playwrights, Beardance International Playwriting Festival, the Neil LaBute New Theatre Festival, the Austin Film Festival, among others. She’s studied Writing at Sarah Lawrence and Egyptology at the University of Oxford, an experience she used to write a buddy comedy about the mummy of a Pharaoh’s 29th Favorite wife. She is a member of the Writers Guild of America East, The New York Script Supervisors Network, and IATSE Local 111. In our interview, we discussed uniting accessible and female driven stories with comedy and surrealism, the structural switches between playwriting and screenwriting, and the unexpected comedy of life in ancient Egypt. Let’s dive in!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Nadia Voukitchevitch
Welcome to NYWIFT, Nadia Voukitchevitch! Nadia is an award-winning filmmaker with over two decades of experience across film, television, and branded content. She is the founder Nadia Films, a creative content production company and boutique agency that produces globally focused, multicultural, and multilingual work across media. Through Nadia Films and its newly launched division, The Creative Collective, Nadia brings together collaborative teams of creators to craft meaningful, commercially viable work rooted in powerful storytelling. Her projects often intersect with social impact, advocacy, and cultural history, reflecting a deep commitment to human rights, women’s voices, and education-driven narratives. In our interview, she reflects on her filmmaking journey, the responsibility of telling stories rooted in lived experience, and the projects she’s most excited to bring to life next.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Erin Kelly
Welcome to NYWIFT, Erin Kelly! Erin is an entertainment insurance professional with a background in film and television production. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Film Production, she began her career working on documentary and television projects, including the feature documentary Knuckleball and CBS’s Entertainment Tonight. In 2016, Erin transitioned into entertainment insurance and now serves as Underwriting Manager for the Film/TV/DICE segment of the Entertainment Department at Intact Insurance Group. Based in New York City, Erin remains deeply connected to the industry as a self-described “film school kid” at heart and an avid moviegoer. In our interview, she shares insights on her journey from production to entertainment insurance, the risks facing today’s productions, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
READ MORE
