Few things could be more horrific than the loss of bodily autonomy, but in June 2022 millions of women across the USA lost theirs when the landmark case Roe V Wade was overturned, removing the right to abortion. Since then, many cases and protests have arisen, as well as various artistic responses, and one of these is Give me an A – an anthology film from sixteen female directors that comprises of sixteen shorts and a wraparound story. The anthology was made very quickly and on a low budget, but various high-profile actors participated including Alyssa Milano, Virginia Madsen and Gina Torres. The film screened at Grimmfest 2023 in Manchester, followed by a Q&A between festival co-organiser Linnie Blake and co-host of the Monstrous Flesh podcast, Megan Kenny (who’s also a writer at this very parish).
The various shorts within Give me an A encompass a range of genres, including body horror, sex comedy, sitcom, sci-fi, reality TV and thriller, and all are satirical, using the short film format to make their points blatantly and bluntly. Few of them could be considered subtle, but the advantage of an anthology is that the messages are varied, and although they all rage against the overturning of Roe V Wade (and quite frankly, there’s plenty to rage against), the forms that this rage takes are varied and intriguing.
The wraparound story, ‘The Cheerleaders’, opens the film and provides the titles and directors throughout, setting the tone that this will be a frank and unashamed engagement with the female body. Director Natasha Halevi’s camera tracks along at floor level, capturing the titular cheerleaders no higher than their waists, while the dialogue from these faceless women covers contemptible boys as well as menstruation, one girl passing another a tampon with the everydayness that such a gesture entails. When they perform, at the instruction of Coach Judy (Madsen), their dance routine as well as the prominent ‘A’s on their tops hammers the point home that Autonomy is what is needed. As the film progresses, the girls holding the signs look increasingly exhausted, indicating the multitude of burdens placed upon women.
Of the short films, some are more convincing than others. The first one in the series, ‘The Voiceless’ by Meg Swertlow, is a chilling representation of the loss of female autonomy, expressed through body horror that is appropriately grotesque because bodies have lost autonomy. Somewhat later fare can be found in ‘DTF’ by Bonnie Discepolo, that works as a sex comedy with a sharp twist on male privilege. ‘Abigail’ takes letters between Abigail and John Adams which are presented directly to camera by the two historical figures, played by, respectively, Alyssa Milano and Sean Gunn. These debates over the inclusion of women in the original Bill of Rights, with further contributions from George Washington (Peter Balfe), Alexander Hamilton (Darren Capozzi) and Thomas Jefferson (Andy Cohen) add a historical dimension to the issue, indicating that debate over the rights of women have been contested since before the establishment of the United States.
While not all the films deliver their messages with equal effectiveness, the weaker elements actually strengthen the debate because the viewer can argue how the point might be made more clearly, thus developing their own understanding.
Sarah Kopkin provides a more direct confrontation with the stress of having others determine what you should do with your body with ‘The Walk’, where a pregnant woman attempts to reach a clinic surrounded by pro-life protestors, who harass and berate her. Intercut with these ferocious humans is footage of shark attacks, the voracious self-righteousness of the protestors equated with that of a feeding frenzy in a blunt and harrowing expression of fear. Valerie Finkel’s ‘Crucible Island’ uses the tropes of a reality TV dating show with a gleefully cruel portrayal of male stereotypes, used to confront the entitlement and narcissism of male privilege. Natasha Helevi’s ‘Vasectopia’ pushes the absurdity even further with a pastel-coloured commercial for the perfect place to live, complete with cheesy grins and even cheesier graphics.
A more sobering piece is the deeply chilling ‘Medi-Evil’ by Monica Moore-Suriyage, that combines tropes of historical narratives with modern trappings, where faceless men treat women as nothing more than test subjects. ‘The Last Store’ by Loren Escandón features Gina Torres as the manager of a convenience store with an underground clinic. This may carry the most telling message of the whole anthology, as it includes the essential aspect of those tasked with enforcing unjust laws making the choice to resist them.
The strong message of the film could well be seen as didactic, but that didacticism is perhaps necessary. While not all the films deliver their messages with equal effectiveness, the weaker elements actually strengthen the debate because the viewer can argue how the point might be made more clearly, thus developing their own understanding. Give me an A is an important and insightful collection of works that offers absurdity alongside the horrific, as well as despair and the occasional moment of hope. It is essential viewing.
Q&A
During the Q&A after the film at Grimmfest, Linnie explained that the organisers felt it important that the film be screened. While some on the selection panel feared the film could be seen as didactic, they agreed that horror and sci-fi can say more than other genres and that Give me an A offered enough laughs, groans, and heaves to make up for the finger-wagging. The discussion covered the various approaches to the reality of women’s lives, the significance of short filmmakers leaning towards comedy as much as horror, and the institutional bias against female filmmakers that makes it difficult to secure funding. There was also mention of how much horror speaks to a female audience, as university courses that analyse the horror genre are typically more popular with female students. With all these factors, the organisers felt it important that the film exists and that it be seen. Ten years ago, the anthology would have looked like a distant dystopia – now it is startlingly relevant. Grimmfest are to be applauded for showing the film due to its quality and importance.
Give me an A had its UK premiere at Grimmfest 2023
