Changing the Things One Cannot Accept

«I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.» — We see this well-known quote by Angela Y. Davis, a philosopher and abolitionist feminist, as a guiding light for queer-feminist and broader intersectional left-wing activism. We must problematize and reject hierarchies and systems of oppression, no matter how all-encompassing and unbreakable they might seem, and seek to create alternative communities of mutual aid, solidarity, and love.

Five years ago, our collective of activists founded Filma to initiate an open dialogue on what we refuse to accept: oppression, apoliticism (whether genuine or faked), and unethical conduct in the film industry along with the exclusion of marginalized communities’ experiences;  a dialogue about the necessity of building equitable spaces within cinema and beyond. There is no better occasion to discuss activism, film, and their interconnections.

In this year’s open-call program, we have selected five films that depict activism and the uniting of activists; these works serve as activist investigations and artivist expressions. They help us envision pathways toward radically different and equitable futures.

The documentary film essay The Repressed  by Maryna Ya and Kostiantyn Maleonyuk, members of the SAD initiative, intertwines the stories of people living on the streets of Odesa with a deep analysis of the social, economic, and psychological challenges they face. This film not only urges viewers to recognize the necropolitics targeting homeless people but also prompts them to take action and support those in need.

In her investigative film Every Document of Civilization, Tatiana Mazú González carefully documents evidence of police violence in her Buenos Aires neighbourhood, as well as the resistance to it, the strength of local communities’ self-organization, and the role of activists within them.

Offside: an Unequal Game  by Katja Stirnemann is an essay on sexism and misogyny in sports. This film is a good example of how personal stories can be used to investigate structural inequalities and systems of oppression, with a bit of wit and irony.

In Sisters, Marianna Fumai captures the stories of activist collectives and groups across Europe who not only advocate for the reproductive rights of women, trans*, and non-binary people but also take direct action, providing access to safe abortion for those in countries where it is criminalized or difficult to access (Poland, Malta, Italy).

In Our Joyful Endings, La Fille Renne and Levon Babayan depict the subversive power of joy, pleasure, and self-love, particularly in the face of a global conservative backlash against bodily autonomy and the rights of trans* and non-binary people.

***

In times of despair, it is worth remembering another thought from Angela Davis. She calls to view activism beyond the boundaries of a single generation, as the freedoms and the opportunities we have today were achieved by those before us. Now, we strive to change what we cannot accept, and our efforts will likewise become someone’s “happy end.”