☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].
Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud.
Sarcastic, confrontational, and lewd—Bruce LaBruce’s hallmark style shines through in his 2017 film, The Misandrists. Resembling a convent setting, a group of twelve young women and several “teachers” plot a feminist revolution. Their mantra, “Blessed be the Goddess of all worlds that has not made me a man!” is recited like a prayer of thanks. The narrative unfolds in 1999 on a German plain, where Isolde (Kita Updike) and Hilde (Olivia Kundisch) meet for an embrace. They stumble upon Volker (Til Schindler), a revolutionary on the run from the authorities. Isolde shelters him in the basement, defying Big Mother (Susanne Sachße), who leads the faction known as FLA (Female Liberation Army) and prohibits any interaction with men.
True to himself, Bruce LaBruce presents a film that’s sharply critical in his distinctively punk and queer style. This Canadian filmmaker has produced about a dozen films, often pornographic, exploring taboo topics through a queer and subversive lens. This time, he opts for a predominantly female cast. This satirical take on radical feminist movements, especially TERFs1, features some particularly outlandish scenes, ranging from lectures glorifying parthenogenesis2 to enforced vaginoplasty.
LaBruce treads the line between what is deemed acceptable and what is not within militant feminist movements. At points, it makes one wonder whether the film’s narrative is only accessible to those within the feminist and queer community. It’s clear the film lampoons essentialist feminism and its transphobic tendencies. Yet, one might ask whether Bruce LaBruce’s political stance was meant to resonate solely with an audience attuned to the underlying issues he explores. Perhaps the director’s goal is to leave us frequently baffled, and occasionally disturbed. As a stalwart of the queercore3 scene, LaBruce skillfully critiques political lesbians and TERFs—he even mocks us, the audience. Once again, Bruce LaBruce drags us into his organized chaos, which is both intense and oddly soothing.
1 TERF is an acronym for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. This term refers to someone who claims to be a radical feminist but excludes gender-diverse individuals through essentialist and transphobic stances.
2 Form of reproduction without male fertilization.
3 A cultural and social movement stemming from punk movements, characterized by a break from society in general, but especially from systems of domination oppressing LGBTQ+ communities.
Reference
Director/Creator: Bruce LaBruce
Title: The Misandrists
Release Date: February 13, 2017
Available Platforms: Featured in Rétrospective Bruce LaBruce : Tendre et transgressif, showcased at the Cinémathèque québécoise in collaboration with the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal, from September 27 to October 26