The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Cannes Film Festival 2022

Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe)

Cannes Film Festival 2022: Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe) | Review
24 May 2022
Andrew Murray
Avatar
Andrew Murray
24 May 2022

Movie and show review

Andrew Murray

Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe)

★★★★★

Special event

Cannes Film Festival 2022

16th to 28th May 2022

Throughout the streets of France, words have begun to appear pasted onto the walls of buildings. These messages speak about femicide, rape and all injustices against women. The collages are the work of a new wave of French feminists who are passionate about getting their message heard. They want change now and they demand that people take in what those black letters on white sheets of paper say – and their bluntness is hard to ignore. 

There are over 200 of these groups in France, with more spreading across London, New York and Mexico. In Feminist Riposte, directors Marie Perennès and Simon Depardon speak to just a handful of the people involved in this new revolution to get an understanding of why they do what they do. From each conversation the filmmakers have with these young women, it’s evident that every member, whether they’re new to activism or veterans, is deeply passionate about the cause. And listening to some of these young people’s testimonies of why they were attracted to the movement only underlines why their fight for women’s rights is so fundamental. 

When the groups aren’t posting their signs at night, larger congregations issue a rallying cry as one united voice. Their chants and protest songs are as attention-grabbing and blunt as their signs. Likewise, their responses to those bold (and stupid) enough to challenge them are equally empowering.

This documentary amplifies a critical message that resonates deeply with today’s youth. The very fact that so many people can be this vehement about positive change shows optimism for a better future. The issue with this film, though, is that it is far too repetitive. While the concept of speaking to groups from each city is designed to show how widespread and unified their voice is, each chapter plays out more or less in the same way. Perhaps choosing to primarily follow one group and adding key interviews from the others the project would have resulted in more of a balanced core. 

Regardless of the structural flaws, the final message of Feminist Riposte is impossible to ignore. Change is coming.

★★★★★

Andrew Murray

Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe) does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival 2022 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.

Watch a clip from Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe) here:

Related Itemscannes film festivalfilm festivalreview

More in Cannes

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.

★★★★★
Matthew McMillan
Read More

“I think I’m kind of a drug addict for image and sound coming together! I’m always putting images to sound and getting high”: An interview with Hlynur Pálmason, director of Godland

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Leyla’s Brothers: An interview with Saeed Roustayi

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Plan 75: An interview with director Chie Hayakawa

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Falcon Lake: An interview with director Charlotte Le Bon

Selina Sondermann
Read More

“How to make a genuine portrait of life”: An interview with the stars of Leila’s Brothers

Selina Sondermann
Read More

“It’s never as I planned it to be, but that’s the point. I like that”: An interview with Marie Kreutzer, director of Corsage

Selina Sondermann
Read More

Smoking Causes Coughing (Fumer Fait Tousser)

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More

The Woodcutter Story (Metsurin Tarina)

★★★★★
Selina Sondermann
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Andrew Murray

Feminist Riposte (Riposte Féministe)

★★★★★

Special event

Cannes Film Festival 2022

16th to 28th May 2022

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • “We really wanted to create a cabbage gun”: An interview with David Earl and Chris Hayward stars of Brian and Charles
    Cinema & Tv
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Ithaka
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Wayfinder
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Cannes Film Festival 2022: Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind | Review
Cannes Film Festival 2022: Crimes of the Future | Review