Set ME Free

Lea Pool isn’t a complete stranger in the short filmmaking life that I’ve started only about 4 years ago. This could count as an impressive feat considering I didn’t even know who Werner Herzog is until last month (and I call myself a film student…)

I remember I was picking out DVDs at the Bennett Library one day a year ago to take home for entertainment. I had inadvertently came across Lost and Delirious (2001)and after reading its synopsis, I decided to give it a chance. Something about boarding school and the relationship between the two roommates caught my attention… perhaps I wanted to fill a bit of the fantasy of being in a boarding school and rooming with my best friend. That and lesbian culture interested me greatly. So when Lea Pool was introduced in class, I was looking forward to see more of her work.

I was impressed with the portrayal of the young girl, Hanna, and the relationships between her and her family. A love-hate relationship with her father at a rebellious age and unfulfilled maternal love which results in a crush on her teacher seems like a typical coming-of-age story. But Pool took this generic story and made it easy to connect with through the portrayal of innocence and confused young love. Hanna’s journey of searching for herself and a place where she belongs was satisfying, heartbreaking and shocking. I find it ironic that it is only when Hanna returns home from her grandparents’ does her caged world start to really fall apart, because home is usually the place where we feel comfortable and safe.

The heartbreak of losing a best friend and the ache of unfulfilled maternal love never failed to touch me as I found my eyes wet while watching both Lost and Deliriousand Set Me Free. Lea Pool has proved herself worthy of my to-watch directors.

At the end of class, I wondered how the select few male students who were sitting behind me connected to the films we watched. Set Me Free was only a milder version of extreme feminist portrayal compared to Hammer’sDyketactics and Menses. Even I had a hard time watching a representation of menstruation being a female myself. The images could be described as ridiculous yet humourous, but maybe that totally supported the purpose of the film. The commentary of this bodily event which occurs naturally in half of the gender population was alarming. It wasn’t set out to educate the male viewers about the menstrual cycle but perhaps rather an abstract depiction of its complications and an outspoken anger at the way the society has condemned this natural process. The video-game-like music was laughable and helped aided in the absurdity of the film.

I just hope the guys in the class isn’t all freaked out about women now…