At times duringWomen Do Cry, there are hints and glimmers of greatness. Written and directed byVesela KazakovaandMina Mileva, this narrative feature tells the story of a girl who is diagnosed with HIV and the women in her family who flock around and support her. While it is full of powerful performances, especially from its two leads, the film takes a serious stumble when it comes to the language around LGBTQ issues, specifically when it addresses its trans character.
Set in a modern Bulgaria where the patriarchal country is coming into direct collision with the 21st century, the public is engaged in discourse around the word “gender” and what it means. At the forefront are sisters Sonja (Maria Bakalova) and Lora (Ralitsa Stoyanova). Sonja is a musician, a talented flutist, while her older sister Lora works in construction in order to support the family because her mother is seemingly unemployed and has been struggling with stability her entire life. After having an affair with a married man, Sonja finds out that she has contracted HIV from him. Shocked and horrified, Sonja’s first concern is her future, specifically her sex life, which might speak more to her true immaturity than anything else. Without any friends to turn to, Sonja seeks her Lora.
While there has been much praise for Bakalova, she often overacts the struggling Sonja. Sonja jumps from silent and withdrawn to howling and screaming, which Bakalova dives headfirst into. It’s unclear if it’s because of the direction or an actor’s personal choice, but it becomes overbearing and redundant. A stronger performance actually comes in the form of Stoyanova, who plays Lora as stoic and responsible. While she can be flirtatious and light, it’s clear that she’s spent most of her life shouldering the burden of breadwinning for her family. She is far more concerned than their mother in pushing Sonja toward treatment.
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After her diagnosis is revealed, Sonja and Lora’s family gather around her. In a family dominated by women, the girls, their mother, and their two aunts come together for a trip to the countryside. The most interesting part ofWomen Do Cryis in the side stories that follow the other women of the family. Veronica (Bilyana Kazakova), the new mother of the group, is struggling to rear her newborn essentially on her own with absolutely no help from her husband. A heartbreaking scene that plays out as she contemplates her life while her baby screams in the background does more in a few minutes than a lot of this film is trying to do during its 107 minutes.
Ultimately, Sonja’s story feels like a mere obstacle given to the women that they must come together to overcome. It’s troubling given how the story approaches HIV. It almost feels like the virus is used as a hook to draw in audiences but abandoned in favor of stories more focused on the feminist movement in Bulgaria. While well-intentioned, it results in feeling like it is tackling far too much. A film just on the discussion of gender is more than enough to fill a whole movie, but this one is tackling all that and more.
The bloated plot doesn’t help as Sonja rejects treatment, never fully going into why she doesn’t want it, and instead opts for a more holistic approach by visiting a religious site. There the women discuss sexuality, abuse, femininity, motherhood, and a whole bevy of conversations that feel a bit too manicured to be casual chat. Dedicating the film to mothers, the film ultimately ends on a confusing note, with Sonja finding comfort in the only man in her family, her grandfather. There’s hardly any development of a relationship between the two and where we are meant to feel solace and catharsis, there’s only confusion.Women Do Cryis certainly trying its best, but it is taking on too much and doing many stories a disservice as a result.
