These provocative French films feature two very different works by the director Sylvie Ballyot, one a narrative, and one documentary. Although varied in style and substance, Ballyot’s portrayals of the complications of lesbian love are equally moving and sincere. In the program’s final film, the intricate delicacies of friendship and romance are skillfully explored.

Love and Words (Sylvie Ballyot, France, 2007): A remarkable documentary in Yemen examines a culture where homosexuality carries a death sentence. As director Sylvie Ballyot interviews the men and cloaked women of Yemen, her affair with her Arab female interpreter threatens to have more than personal consequences.

Like Father, Like Daughter (Sylvie Ballyot, France, 2007): Julie goes to visit her amputee father in the south of France. While the two struggle to communicate and connect, they find that their shared desire for women is an ambiguous complicity that is tolerable as long as it remains silent.

The Creased Bed (Le lit froissé) (Myriam Donasis, France, 2006): Two girls impulsively make hot love, but face a chilly morning after.

ADMISSION:  $10 non-member / $8 members