Sisters

Marisa Hoicka’s Sisters —an ethereal film born from archival footage— is a return to form. Similar to the way some early found/archival footage filmmakers worked, Hoicka draws from vintage advertisements, public service announcements, and product demonstrations from the 1940s to the 1970s. Sisters questions the nature of promotional films which shows or teaches people what to desire or how to be, by inserting the promoted object into daily life. It questions the device of truthfulness in promotional films, as it takes these exploitative moments of family life and recreates them into genuine moments between the characters in the film. Unlike the focus of these advertisements, the women’s actions aren’t connected to men or being productive in a way that is of stereotypical value or is viewed as contributing to society in some way. This previously untold story can be viewed now in a world that often continues to place judgment and manage women’s actions instead of letting them create value for themselves. With Sisters, Hoicka recontextualizes this footage to give it new meaning and new narratives through a feminist lens, while taking the viewer on an emotional roller-coaster ride that slowly creeps in. Sisters inverts past norms as each part of the story casts-off general expectations. The footage feels familiar to narratives we’ve watched time and again. But the women’s actions feel disconnected from these viewed worlds, as they let go of societal constraints and instead follow their own desires.