We Want Roses Too (Vogliamo Anche Le Rose) 2007
Distributed by Women Make Movies, 462 Broadway, New York, NY 10013; 212-925-0606
Produced by Gianfilippo Pedote and Francesco Virga
Directed by Alina Marazzi
DVD , color, 84 min., Italian with English subtitles
College - Adult
Gender Studies, Media Studies, Political Science, Sociology, Women's Studies
Date Entered: 11/12/2008
Reviewed by Margaret M. Reed, Riley-Hickingbotham Library, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARWe Want Roses Too is a vivid reminder that the women’s movement transcends time and culture.
Against a vast collage of archival footage and artistic elements – ads, news, interviews, and animation – Marazzi tells the story of three women whose lives were transformed by feminism and the sexual revolution in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s. Their diaries reveal many of the same issues women throughout the world grapple with today – oppressive cultural norms, stringent religious beliefs, reproductive choice, and male supremacy.
From start to finish, We Want Roses Too bombards viewers with a multitude of images, which, at first glance, may seem random. The creative genius of this experimental structure, however, is that it mirrors the chaos of the women’s movement. It is also a fascinating catalog of an era marked by upheaval and progress.
Recommended for college and university libraries, We Want Roses Too is also a useful teaching tool for women’s studies, history, political science, and sociology curricula.