Her Socialist Smile 2020
Distributed by Grasshopper Film, 12 East 32nd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Directed by John Gianvito
Streaming, 93 mins
College - General Adult
Disabilities; Political science; Socialism
Date Entered: 01/03/2022
Reviewed by Ciara Healy, Librarian for Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke UniversityThe title of the film does not indicate how deeply researched and crafted this film is. It is in fact about socialist crusader Helen Keller and her socialist crusades during the early to mid-1900s. Despite her being blind and deaf, she was a staunch advocate for those who labored in the factories of the wealthy. She admitted that she was a Socialist because she, "believed in fair play.” Best known for her Vaudeville lecture circuit appearances for social advocacy for the blind and deaf. She also openly challenged white supremacy, especially among the schools for the blind that Black children attended.
Her career as a speaker, socialist and suffragette, despite her having learned to speak though deaf, and write books though blind were seen as an extraordinary feat. She was also an author of many books based on her social and political convictions and personal experience. As a Radcliffe graduate - the college's first deaf and blind graduate - she was less interested in the prestige of her degree and more focused on the lived lives of the working people of the world.
The film is structured in an interesting way, using quotes from her lecture circuit and from her popular Vaudeville performance Q&A sessions. The quotes are often seen on the screen to be read silently by the viewer. Perhaps this is an homage to Keller's disabilities or maybe a way to linger on her messages. At other times, there is a narrator reading Keller's words. In addition, there are interludes in which nature scenes are shown, though these seem out of context. (Trigger warning: deceased animals.) The film is a comprehensive canvassing of her social and political beliefs, her tireless efforts for women's suffrage and dignity for workers in the US and worldwide. She is shown to be a firebrand and her demonstrated energy and compassion seemed to be limitless over her long speaking career.
Awards:Official Selection, New York Film Festival; Official Selection, Viennale; Winner, Open Jury Prize, Linea D’Ombra Festival
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