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Women Do Cry Movie Review | SXSW 2022

Women Do Cry features a great performance from Bakalova, strong bonds between characters and enlightening insight into Bulgarian society, but is deeply flawed with the way it depicts HIV and the LGBTQ+ community.

women do cry review

Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova caused waves in 2020 when she starred in the hilarious “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” The sequel to 2006’s “Borat” got up to even more shenanigans with Sacha Baron Cohen and Bakalova starring as the father-daughter pairing of the century. As their characters Borat and Tutar Sagdiyev made their way across the United States during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bakalova emerged as the film’s hero and had explosive moments of her own, such as the infamous Rudy Giuliani interview. The young actress ended up earning an Academy Award nomination for her role.

In her follow-up film, Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazakova’s “Women Do Cry,” we see a completely different side to the actress. She’s not donning wild outfits and going to unsuspecting people’s homes; instead she delivers a powerful performance as a woman who lives with Bulgaria’s misogynistic and homophobic ways.

Sonja (Bakalova) and her sister Lora (Ralitsa Stoyanova) have the definition of a toxic relationship. The way we’re introduced to them is while they’re having a fight over who put what piece of clothing in the other person’s drawer, and they subsequently begin to toss their stuff all over the place and hurt each other. But that connection becomes important for Sonja who later learns that her partner is married, has a child and is HIV-positive. When she later tests positive for the virus herself, she turns to her sister, who, physically distraught by the news, tries to help her fight, even though Sonja doesn’t seem willing herself. Bakalova will surprise viewers with her acting chops as they see her go into a deep spiral throughout the film. She takes command of the screen and delivers painstaking moments.

Other family members are facing difficulties in their lives as well. Their aunt Veronica (Bilyana Kazakova) is almost always homebound taking care of her child, while her husband, who is never seen but always on the phone with her, isn’t a present or supportive presence. The film also expands its focus to the sisters’ mother Ana (Katia Kazakova), their trans relative Yoana (Kazakova) and their grandfather (Iossif Surchadzhiev) to explore the deep-rooted misogyny and homophobia in their lives.

Mileva and Kazakova’s exploration of systemic problems in Bulgaria is done in a number of ways and shows how much work needs to be done. In certain conversations, characters utter slurs or stereotypes, such as only associating HIV with homosexual men. Treatment against women is also terrible to see. In one jarring scene, when Sonja visits a gynecologist and tells him she has HIV so he can put on examining gloves, he kicks her out of his exam room and

calls her a whore. On top of the characters’ stories, there is also “background” information that gives us insight into society, such as anti-gender equality protests and news reports stating that 91% of rapes in Bulgaria are by a partner or a relative. This is a very difficult country to live in for many, and the film provides a painful reminder of that truth. But when the women in this family come together, which are the film’s strongest points, it’s special moment to see them bond and discuss their struggles.

The script falls completely, however, with the way HIV and a transgender character are portrayed. The virus, for which there are plenty of medications available today that help people live normal and healthy lives, is constantly portrayed as a disgusting and shameful disease. Those who do live with HIV or AIDS will find this extremely hurtful, and it only adds to the stigma that has existed for decades. Scenes with Yoana, a trans man, are also very poorly depicted, such as one with his girlfriend who doesn’t want him to undergo hormone treatment and says “I want you as a woman.” Yoana’s family also never acknowledges his gender or supports him.

“Women Do Cry” features a great performance from Bakalova, strong bonds between characters and enlightening insight into Bulgarian society, but is deeply flawed with the way it depicts HIV and the LGBTQ+ community. Even though the film’s focus is on misogyny and homophobia, there was no attempt to actually set a good example of how society should actually support those with HIV or who are in the LGBTQ+ community.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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About Women Do Cry

With her life turned upside down, Sonja turns to her sister Lora and the women in her family for support. Each faces her own struggle against the inherent misogyny and homophobia present in all their lives.

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