SYNOPSIS
Radical Harmonies explores the history of feminist music within the context of the feminist movement, which began in the 70¡¯s. Lesbians of that time called for peace and a stop to wars, sang of freedom and developed a flow of cultural movement along with other women. Lesbians, feminists and other women laughing, dancing and playing music at women only musical festivals started the movement of feminist music. Women-only bands were formed and songs about friendship and love between women, about women¡¯s repression and emancipation were sung. Radical Harmonies is about women singers and musicians who experimented and played ¡®feminist music¡¯ and also about those who love that genre of music. It is about their contemplation about what ¡®women¡¯s music¡¯ is in a male-centered society. The harmonies that we hear are the sound of mother¡¯s heart beats heard inside the womb, the lapping sound of the amniotic fluid inside the womb, rhythm similar to the first quivering of a life and how the ¡®unspeakable¡¯ word ¡®lesbian¡¯ was finally sung by singers. The music that sounds so immediate in the film shows us that in feminist music, aesthetics and politics are intrinsically one. Women¡¯s music that changes the world into a beautiful place and this film is the living proof that something beautiful is in fact something political. (Joung Seung-hwa)
PROGRAM NOTE
Radical Harmonies explores the history of feminist music within the context of the feminist movement, which began in the 70¡¯s. Lesbians of that time called for peace and a stop to wars, sang of freedom and developed a flow of cultural movement along with other women. Lesbians, feminists and other women laughing, dancing and playing music at women only musical festivals started the movement of feminist music. Women-only bands were formed and songs about friendship and love between women, about women¡¯s repression and emancipation were sung. Radical Harmonies is about women singers and musicians who experimented and played ¡®feminist music¡¯ and also about those who love that genre of music. It is about their contemplation about what ¡®women¡¯s music¡¯ is in a male-centered society. The harmonies that we hear are the sound of mother¡¯s heart beats heard inside the womb, the lapping sound of the amniotic fluid inside the womb, rhythm similar to the first quivering of a life and how the ¡®unspeakable¡¯ word ¡®lesbian¡¯ was finally sung by singers. The music that sounds so immediate in the film shows us that in feminist music, aesthetics and politics are intrinsically one. Women¡¯s music that changes the world into a beautiful place and this film is the living proof that something beautiful is in fact something political. (Joung Seung-hwa)