FISTFUL OF FLIES

Australia, 1996, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tasma Walton, Dina Panozza, John Lucantonio, Maria Vanuti, Anna Volska.
Directed by Monica Pellizzari.

Callous males are the target of Monica Pellizzari's blunt and blackly satiric, Fistful of Flies. This first feature follows a number of award-winning short films that have explored Italian patriarchy and abuse in Australian families, Just Desserts and Best Wishes. European audiences have responded well to this film, Australian reviewers have been negative.

It is not an easy film to watch but, once again, we are listening to women's stories (and the director reminds us that she came across much more violent and ugly stories in her research). This film focuses on a teenager and puberty, physical functions and the body and the pressures of an ignorant mother and a double standards, brutal father.

Italian fathers tend to draw their beliefs in the roles of women from the Catholic background. They are often described as seeing women as both Madonna and Whore. This films reinforces these perceptions. The father is a sculptor who has made a statue of the Madonna which, towards the opening of the film, is lifted by helicopter onto a plinth in the local cemetery, the parish looking on. Other images of the Virgin appear throughout the film.

Monica Pelizzarri says she does not want to attack the Church (although she has a satiric confessional sequence with the priest more concerned with placing bets than hearing confessions). She knows that many depend on it for their life view. However, many use it as a crutch, and many use it as an excuse for abuse.

Tasma Walton is believable as the daughter. Dina Panozzo runs the danger of caricature as the mother. Pellizzari uses a direct and blunt style that some have dismissed as `artless', but this is a film of both anger and compassion. It is not easy entertainment, but it brings the unspoken out in the open.

1.The film as a first feature? Small budget? Personal cinematic style? Women's themes? Australian themes?

2.The atmosphere of the country town, the houses, the streets, church? The bush environment? The musical score?
3.The title and its meaning? Idiomatic? A woman achieving nothing if she goes on her wild ways? Derogatory term for women? For Mars?

4.The film and its awards? For treating women's issues? Breaking stereotypes? Critique of patriarchy?

5.The film based on research into patriarchal families in Australia? The background of Italians, Lebanese? The stories of repression, cruelty? The fathers and their brutality? Mothers and their compliance with the men?

6.The ethnic traditions? As passed on from generation to generation? The social structures, expectations? Maleness and femaleness? The religious reinforcement, especially with Italians?

7.The patriarchy and the theme of the Madonna? The Virgin Mary? The female ideal? The contrast with sexual feelings? Denial and repression? Fathers' expectations of their daughters? Their wives? The virgin/whore complex? The consequent violence and the brutality of the perpetrators?

8.The film showing women as victims? The background of ignorance? About sexuality, physiology, anatomy? Perpetuating the myths of the men? '

9.The next generation and the suffering? The rebellion? Breakthrough in women's rights?

10.The portrait of the family, the atmosphere of the period? The father and his moods, cruelty, praising his son, punishing his daughter? His job and the popular artwork? The statues, the garden gnomes, the cemetery? His overtly jolly style but his fear rule? The belt and the violence to Mars? His treatment of grace? Love, her subservience to him? His attitude towards Virginia? The visit to Magda's family? The gift for Mars? The jolly style at the table - and the flirting and carrying on with Magda? His double standards? His rash judgments about Mars and her relationship with Eno? The build-up to the showdown, the gun, the confrontation, Mars humiliating her father? Grace and her taking a stand against her husband? Eno and his standing against the father?

11.The portrait of Grace, the mixed marriage between a northern Italian and a southern Italian? Her Australian style and accent? At home, running the household, the cooking, her neighbour, talking about the new carpets etc? Her clash with her mother? Her worrying about Mars? Waiting before going to mass to see what Mars would do? Her own personal ignorance, taking Mars to the doctor, not knowing about sexuality? Her seeing her daughter masturbate and her reaction? Locking her in her room? The scene in the dining room, Mars at the table, the breaking down of barriers and their chasing one another around the table? The father coming in and stopping them? Her putting Mars in the bath, the discussions with the doctor about periods, virginity? The scrubbing brush and her cruelty - and the nail brush with the blood on it? The gunshot and her fear for Mars? Coming to the cemetery, seeing the gunshot in the statue of the Madonna? The showdown, her reaction to her husband, her blunt talk about her own sexuality? Going off with her daughter? Her mother returning home, her reconciliation (in comparison with the opening sequence with Mars watching the dogs and their sex) and her putting the bag over her daughter's head and her mother's criticism? The three generations and the possibility of reconciliation, uniting against the cruelty of the men?

12.The focus on Mars? Her place in the family? The opening, the young girl, her curiosity about the dogs, her mother's reaction, fear, disgust, putting the bag over her head, Mars' interpretation of the dogs fighting? Her grandmother coming to her assistance? The growing up, in her room, not wanting to go to church, using her period as the excuse? Looking at the magazine, checking her breasts, the masturbation, her being discovered? Her being punished? Her father and the strap, his brutality? Her room, its decorations, the photos, a refuge? Her setting the table and the bonding with her mother, the chasing? Her going to school, the background of the non-Italian atmosphere outside the house? Her going to visit Magda and her family, the gift of the picture of the Madonna? Giving it back? The encounter with Eno, discussion with him? Wearing the tampons as earrings and the reaction? The doctor and her visit to the home, the discussions? Her going to confession - and the reaction of the priest? Talking with her mother? The effect on her, her resentments, going to the doctor and the discussion, her mother taking her back home, the cruelty in the bath, the nail brush and the blood? Her going to the cemetery with the gun? Her feelings of despair? Shooting the statue? Going with her mother, the angry confrontation with her father, threatening to shoot him? With her mother? Her mother on side? Confronting Eno? Her future?

13.The family, Magda and her husband, the affair of the father with Magda, the earthiness of the sexuality - and Grace's angry reaction? Magda's husband and his advances towards Grace and her reaction? Setting up the meeting with Eno, their discussion, university, his taking her side? The expectations of the Italian families? The gossips in the town, the phone calls? Mars and her brazen response because of the criticisms?

14.Virginia, the history of her relationship with her husband, the children, the antagonism with Grace, her going to the old people's home? Her friendship with Innocentia? Their discussions at the home, Mars' visit and her supporting her granddaughter? Holding her, literally supporting her? Her decision to come back home? Grace and the reconciliation?

15.The Italian icons, the Madonna and her statue in the air, landing? The cemetery and the statues? The garden gnomes - and their being stolen? Mars and her shooting them?

16.The church, the priest in confession, the mobile phone, placing bets? The treatment of Mars in the confessional, the recording for the act of contrition and penance? Reinforcing her attitude towards the church?

17.Women's stories, the physiological realities of the film? The portrayal of bodily functions and their effect? Urinating, masturbation, periods? The response of women in the audience? Men?

18.The film as a black comedy, off-centre for expectations about families? Jolting the audience, making them ask questions?