Spring Lesbian Festival of Toulouse
Organized by Bagdam Espace Lesbien
L'arme du rire
'Laughter as a Weapon'
April 7-13 2009
Poets and theorists, artists and comic book authors, video artists and film makers, actors and performance artists, choreographers and dancers, solo singers and rockers, historical activists and archivists of our history, they will all be there for the joy of our laughter.
Laughter as a weapon and tears of laughter as a way to recreate the world
in full consciousness of the cause.
Political and cultural lesbian thought meets our devastating uprising and our crystal clear insolence.
A non-violent call to arms in which the peals of our laughter, ringing with self irony, is the language of resistance to domination and to the norm.
On the program: 80 researchers, activists and artists from 12 countries and 4 continents
Including: Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, U.S.A., Italy, India, Israel, Spain, Great Britain, France, Switzerland
Locations
Auditorium des Abattoirs – Librairie Ombres blanches – Cinéma Utopia – CDC/Centre de Développement Chorégraphique –
Salle des Illustres (Le Capitole) – Centre culturel Henri Desbals – Maison des Associations.
Festival in the city 7, 8, 9,10 April
Tuesday April 7th
7:30 p.m -- Auditorium of the Musée d'art Contemporain des Abattoirs - 76, allées Charles-de Fitte – (Metro Saint-Cyprien)
Films : femmeusesaction #18, "Les femmes ont du mal a tenir la distance" (Women Have Difficulty Going the Distance), by Cécile Proust, 2006 - "La côte d'Eve - Une histoire des femmes artistes de 1970 à 2006" (Eve's Side of the Story – The Story of Women Artists from 1970 to 2006) by Odile Foucaud, 2007. Admission free.
Wednesday April 8th
6:00 p.m. -- Ombres blanches - 50, rue Gambetta (Metro Capitole)
Une opérette à Ravensbrück, by Germaine Tillion. Debate directed by Sylvie Chaperon of Université Toulouse-Le Mirail. Screening with a surprise guest, followed by music and cocktails. Admission free.
9:00 p.m Cinéma Utopia - 24, rue Montardy (Metro Capitole)
Lez-moi rire (Lezz me Laugh), film shorts never before shown in Toulouse, 85’ : Prices 4 or 6 € ; reservations recommended from April 1rst.
Friday April 10
6:00 p.m. -- Champagne Reception at the Capitole in the Salle des Illustres (metro Capitole) Formal Opening of Printemps Lesbien at the city hall by city officials.
9:00 p.m. – Centre culturel Henri-Desbals – 128, rue Henri-Desbals (Metro Bagatelle)
Hélène Marquié, The first retrospective of my life, a one hour dance performance. Admission 9 €
Festival-Workshop 11,12,13 April
Maison des Associations - 81, rue Saint-Roch - Toulouse (Metro Saint-Agne-SNCF)
Organized by Bagdam Espace Lesbien,
in partnership with Fuoricampo Lesbian Group in Bologne, Italy
and Les VidéObstinées of Toulouse,
and with the help of the Lesbians Archives in Paris, Cineffable in Paris
and the lesbian & feminist bookstore Violette & Co. in Paris
as well as Folles Saisons and La Luna Loca, Toulouse.
Practical Information
Access - Metro Station Saint-Agne on the B line is only 4 stops from the centre and it is a 4 minute walk from the station to the building entrance. Large parking lot, handicapped access and elevator.
Admission Prices
3 Day Conference Pass: 60 € (or 30 € reduced price for those whose budgets require it. No proof needed, Bagdam will take you at your word)
Bagdam 2009 members: 50 € (reduced price 25 €)
1 Day Pass : 25 €
Conference passes available starting Saturday April 11, at 8:30 a.m.
A welcome breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:30.
Schedule: the three days of the conference will run from 8:30 to 7:30 except Monday the 13th which finishes at 6:00 p.m.
Breaks: one half hour each morning and afternoon during which time there will be activities, shows and exhibition openings.
Lunch Breaks: one and a half hours, maximum.
Book Signings in the bookstore at the end of the day, fill up at the Festival shops.
Sign Language it is possible that certain presentations in French will be translated for the hearing impared. To help us estimate the demand for this service, please write to bagdam@bagdam.org
SATURDAY APRIL 11
8:30 REGISTRATION and welcome breakfast
9:30 Introduction: Why do we laugh?, by Jacqueline Julien of Bagdam
A Double-Edged Sword
10:00 Humor : trap or weapon for lesbians in the workplace?, by Line Chamberland of UQAM, Montréal, Canada.
10:30 The Divine Comedy: The rituals of seduction in London, a philosophical investigation of inter-cultural misunderstandings,
by Namita Chakrabarty of India/Great Britain/London
11:00 Question and Answer – With moderator and translator Nicole Lacelle of Québec, Montréal
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11:15 BREAK
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Laughter as a Weapon –A Battle Kit
11:45 Alert! The Lesbian Avengers Are Among Us and They are Recruiting! Screening and commentary on their actions, by Ana Simo, one of the group's founders and Kelly Cogswell, the principal organizer of the first Dyke March in New York, U.S.A.
12:00 Alert Two! La Barbe (The Beard) in the flesh, those who dare to defy patriarchy in their very strongholds. Video screening and commentary on the group's actions by La Barbe of Paris, France.
12:15 MetroLES, by the Toxic Lesbians, performers and activists based in Madrid, Spain. A video, screening of 10 minutes of action in the Madrid metro presented by one of the protagonists, Elena Garcìa-Oliveros – presentation in French.
12:30 Exchanges and commentaries, Laughter and Rage/Do we Laugh at the Same Things?, presented by moderator Barbara Wolman of Bagdam and VidéObstinées.
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13:00 – 14:30 LUNCH BREAK in the festival cafeteria
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Post-, post-, post – And After?
2:30 Deconstruct, they said, opening of the afternoon session by Jacqueline Julien
2:45 The Rebels, Wittig's Outlaws : it's for laughs and for real, by Catherine Écarnot of Paris, France.
15:15 Women's Lib:The conquest of orgasmic laughter, by Laura Meritt of Berlin, Germany.
3:45 Commentary by the author and performer Cécile Proust on her work femmeuseactions #5 - Feminism & Burlesque, seen by Laurence Louppe4:15-4:45 Questions and Debate: In the pre-post queer era or already well beyond it? With Moderators Suzette Robichon
4:30 : Concurrent Workshops Themes and rooms where they will be held to be posted on festival hall screen.
4:45 BREAK
Presentation of the Comics Exhibition and the Artists - Last but not least, Alison Bechdel of the U.S.A and Laura Bernard of Amiens, France with a recorded message commenting on the success of this writer/artist.
The Visibility of Our Insolence
5:15 Salidas de emergencia, (Emergency Exits) A video presentation of the graphic novel, by Gema Arquero and Rosa Navarro of Barcelona, Spain.
5:30 From Australia With Love: The political and humorous photography of Tina Fiveash of Sydney, Australia. Screening and commentary by the photographer in English with off screen subtitles. Followed by an exchange with this artist from the “other side of the world”. Simultaneous translations by Marta Bencich, Barbara Wolman
6:15 Le GDGM, Grand Catwalk of Lezzy Fashion, by the group Deboute of Toulouse and surrounding regions with tableaux vivants.
6:45 Announcement and screening of the winner of the video competition
organized by Bagdam and VidéObstinées
7:00 Book Signings at the Violette & Co. bookstore and at the authors and editors stands in the festival shop
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Soirée starting at 9:30
Theater, CONCERT and fête
* 10:00 at Kléo (Le Ramier), 1 av. Grand-Ramier (Metro Saint-Michel, line B)
Concert by Anatomie Bousculaire of Paris
Admission 5 € upon presentation of a conference pass – Full admission price 8 €
NB : Public from 9:30 - Attention, maximum 200 seats.
* Fête à Folles Saisons 197, route de Saint-Simon
05 62 14 64 85 – (Metro Mirail University, line A), + a 9 min walk. Carpooling planned.
Admission Free.
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Sunday April 12
8:30 – 9:20 Qi-Jong Workshop, by Marylou Baldacci of Marseille, France
The Fires of Humor
9:30 Introduction and reading of extracts from the, Petit Dictionnaire de l'inégalité des femmes(The Little Dictionary of Women's Inequality) by Alice Ceresa and translated by Michèle Causse, presented by Françoise Leclère and Jacqueline Julien.
9:45 Our laughter as a rewrite of the world through the prism of th Petit Dictionnaire by Alice Ceresa. Presented in French by Paola Guazzo of Florence, Italy.
10:15 Our Laughter, or the End of the Great Signifier by Katy Barasc of Toulouse.
10:45 Question and Answer with moderator Marian Lens of Brussels, Belgium and - Translators Michèle Causse and Jacqueline Julien of Bagdam.
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11:00 BREAK
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Lesbians on the Set
11:30 Rapido Finale con passione, Italy, 1999, 5 min film by Luki Massa of Bologna, Italy, VO sub-titled in French.
11:35 When Laughter Becomes a Serious Thing. Humor in Lesbian Cinema, by Luki Massa. Presented in Italian, off screen translations with film extracts.
12:00 Towards the Conquest of Auto-Irony. From Go Fish to The L Word, presented in English by Rose Troche of New York, with off screen translations.
12:30 Kiss-ing, by the group P.A.L. Pratiquer des actions lesbiennes of Milan, Italy 1996, 8 min, a hilarious candid camera.
12:40 Question and Answer with moderators and translators Marta Bencich of Bologna, Italy and Jacqueline Julien of Bagdam.
1:00 Happy Birthday Cineffable!
With the Cineffable team, a screening of a film by Barbara Wolman (France), taken from the Paris Film Festival Les lesbiennes se font du cinéma (Lesbians making cinema)
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13:30 LUNCH BREAK (1 hour)
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2:30 – 3:20 Workshops (Themes and rooms to be announced on the festival hall screen.)
Laughter as a weapon and Herstory
3:30 40 Years of Lesbian Humor on View, a screening of a selection of French subjects placed in the context of 'herstory' and commented on by Suzette Robichon of Paris.
4:00 In the time of Vanilla/Strawberry and Clit 007. The unbridled lesbians of Geneva in the 70s and 80s, by Rina Nissim of Geneva, Switzerland.
4:30 The Beautiful Stories of Ghena Goudou, reading and memories presented by Evelyne Rochedereux of Paris.
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5:00 BREAK
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6:00 THÉÂTRE
6:00 Cupido (Cupid) by Paola Cavallin of Great Britain and Italy, 20 min Subtitled in French.
6:30 Lezbologue du vagin, by Monica Nobili of Italy, 10 min, Subtitled in French.
From 7:00: Drinks and Exhibition of the photograghs Doubles dames (Double Ladies) presented by the photographers: Traude Bürhmann of Germany and Odile Debloos of France. Cover photos from the revue Sinister Wisdom (U.S.) with commentary by Suzette Robichon of France.
Book Signings at the Violette & Co. Bookstore
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SOIRÉE
9:30 Presentation and rare screening of the cult film Go Fish, 1994, with the director Rose Troche (New York).
From 11:30, FÊTE. (Location and schedule to be announced)
Monday April 13
9:00 - 9:50 Workshops
Mood and Joyful Movement
10:00 I Dance AND I think, at the same time. The mechanics of comic choreography by Hélène Marquié, choreographer (Paris) with extracts of videos of shows and demonstrations danced in situ.
10:30 What Does the Hyena Laugh About?, by Lola Vanguardia (Isabel Franc, of Madrid)
11:00 Question and Answer with Moderators and translators Sonia Ruiz and Barbara Wolman
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11:15 SHORT BREAK
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11:30 ''That doesn't Make Me Laugh at All” ,by Françoise Leclère (Bagdam/Fifalia, Toulouse)
12:00 Humour: Element of Seductionin My Love Life in General, But Not Always, by Nicole Lacelle (Canada, Montréal)
12:30 Happy Birthday Bagdam !
Take 20! 20 Years of Bagdam, a 10 minutes film by Hélène Coupard and Barbara Wolman. Screening to be followed by surprises, stories, etc.1:00 – 1:30 The Laughter of Lesbians? A festival!
Wrap up of workshops, and report of results in the main festival hall.
1:30 Wait ! Group Photo of Lezbiennes !
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LUNCH BREAK (1 hour)
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2:30 – 5:30
Sex, Questions and Videos
Best of the Festival in the city
(At Utopia Wednesday April 8 >see program on website)
Other Screenings Shown Concurrently (in the small room)
Orgasme à la crème fouettée (Whipped Cream Orgasm), by Diane Heffernan (Canada, Quebec, Montreal), 30 min, 1991. A rare screening of this video, provided to the festival by the director and commented on by Suzette Robichon.
La P.E.S. T. , panne érotique saphique terminale (Terminal Loss of Saphic Libido)
Cult Documentary, 30 min.
Also at this time: The wrap up of workshops and open workshops
Last chance to shop and get books signed at the Bookstore and Festival shops.
Closing Ceremony of the festival around 6:00.
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5 exhibitions
• Lez.bulles (Lez.bubbles) European comics, comic strips and fanzines, under the friendly eye of, and with a recorded message of support from Alison Bechdel
• 40 ans d'humour à l'affiche (40 Years of Poster Humor) Feminists and lesbians let loose with posters, graffiti, tracts, T-shirts and post cards from Belgium and Northern Europe, France, Italy and Switzerland.
• Photo Exhibition Doubles dames (Double Ladies)
Photographers: Traude Bürhmann of Berlin and Odile Debloos of Amiens, France.
• Cover Photos of the revue Sinister Wisdom (U.S.A.) commented on by Suzette Robichon.
• Ineffable Cineffable ! An album of memories of the FFF – Fabulous Film Festival – of Paris with the Cineffable Team
Shows and Spectacles
• Le rire des sirènes (The Siren's Laughter) : an original audio montage by Luki Massa of Fuoricampo, Bologne, in a mini-space of rest put in place by Marta Bencich of Fuoricampo and Felis Nusselein, artiste and magician, from Umbria, Italy, A melting pot of lesbian laughter of all times and all countries.
• laugh@lesbian.world : video montage loop of the most beautiful images of our world of laughter, an original creation by Isabel Cholbi and Luki Massa of Fuoricampo. Screened in loop on the screen below the 'big top tent' of the cafeteria.
• La boîte à blagues (The Joke Box) : for the entries of the best lesbian jokes invented by the conference participants. To be read Sunday, at the end of the afternoon. The author of the best joke will be rewarded by the jury with a special festival gift pack.
• Lizzi the Lezzy : Animated cartoons of Ruth Selwyn of Israel. Numerous episodes lasting from 1 to 2 minutes, dubbed and adapted in several languages by the author. Inspiration and montage for the festival by Marta Bencich and Luki Massa of Fuoricampo.
Lizzi will be our jingle that signals the beginning and end of breaks.
Don't miss a single episode.
• Fashion Show GDGM: A grand Catwalk of Lezzy Fashion, 20 min. Original Creation of the group, Deboute with six models / designers of Toulouse and surrounding regions including tableaux vivants. Saturday April 11, starting around 6:00 p.m. -- just before LA comédie musicale (see below).
Workshops: 50 minutes each (most will be held 2 or 3 times)
• Workshop 1: Under the Tongues of our Lovers - Sex with Subtitles Laughter, language and sexuality with bilingual lovers, led by Traude Bürhman and Laura Meritt of Berlin and Suzette Robichon of Paris.
Sunday April 12, 2:30 -- 3:20
• Workshop 2: We are Going to Laugh, Even When We Have no Reason to. Laughter as a tool against stress and aggression by Annie Briand, Doctor of Physiotherapy and pain management at the University of Caen, France.
Saturday April 11, 4:30 - 5:20 / Sunday April 12, 2:30 - 3:20
• Workshop 3 : Resistance Through Laughter, based upon an Operetta à Ravensbrück, by Germaine Tillion, self-ridicule and survival, an experimental workshop led by Barbara Wolman.
Sunday April 12, 2:30 - 3:20
• Workshop 4 : Pussy kill kill/kiss kiss bang bang. The blogosphere, a new space of humor and expression for lesbians, led by Ash, of Paris, with our own humor blog created during the festival.
Saturday April 11, 4:30 - 5:20 / Sunday April 12, 2:30 - 3:20 / Monday April 13, 9:00 -9:50
Early Morning Workshops : Qi-Jong, by Marylou Baldacci, Pediatrcian and Qi-Jong instructor of Marseille, France. Sunday April 2, 8:30 – 9:20 / Monday April 13, 9:00 - 9 :50
• Workshop 6 'Open' : Can we laugh at the same things when we are neither white , rich, nor particularly at ease in in the city? Or any other workshop theme to be proposed on the spot. Saturday April 11, 4:30 – 5:20 / Sunday April 12, 2:30 – 15:20 / Monday April 13, 9:00 – 9:50
Stands
Librairie Violette & Co: Hundreds print and multimedia works on Lesbian and Feminist culture and expression will make the voyage from Paris to Toulouse thanks to our friends at the ONLY feminist and lesbian bookshop in France.
Festival Shop: located around the main room, with enough space to accommodate stands and shop for souvenirs and presents on the theme of political humor.
Contact bagdam@bagdam.org
