Amazon Prime VideoTell It Like A Woman comprises of seven segments that are directed by female directors from different parts of the world and shot in Italy, India, Japan, and the U.S. Each segment is an inspirational and empowering story about women, by women, for everyone.
Director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) relies heavily on close-ups of the women’s faces to craft that tension, but in the short film format there’s not enough time to develop either of the characters or give the story more depth. The third film in the collection is the most interesting and most artfully crafted, both in terms of story and mise-en-scène. Directed by Argentina’s Lucía Puenzo, the film stars Eva Longoria as a successful businesswoman who has traveled home to Lagonegro in Italy for her sister’s funeral. It turns out her sister, like their mother before her, has committed suicide.
The stories mostly revolve around women in crisis, which provides narrative drama but doesn’t feel universal or representative of women’s lives in general. While there’s plenty of diversity across the shorts in terms of race, ethnicity and nationality, the focus begs the question of why the film didn’t opt for more diversity in stories and tone. Being a woman doesn’t have to mean overcoming constant crises, does it?
