Slideshow
A WOMAN LIKE EVE
Netherlands, 1979
Directed by Nouchka van Brakel
With Monique van de Ven, Maria Schneider, Marijke Merckens, Peter Faber
In English, French and Dutch with English subtitles
Approx. 113 min. DCP.
Saccharine Dutch housewife Eva (Monique van de Ven) is one encounter at the lesbian commune away from leaving her comfortable life, husband, and children. Eva’s husband champions her newfound preferences as “in fashion” until he catches her under the covers with liberated troubadour Lilian (Maria Schneider). Stay for the hauntingly soothing rendition of the women’s folk tune “The Rock Will Wear Away” sung beautifully by Schneider herself.
Reviews
“An unsung feminist trailblazer, Nouchka van Brakel made some of the most subversive and fearlessly compassionate Dutch films of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Each dealing with resilient women who defy the pressures of a patriarchal society in their quests for self-actualization — including the landmark lesbian love story A WOMAN LIKE EVE, one of the first major films to offer a positive portrayal of queer romance — are ripe for rediscovery.”
– Criterion Collection
“Monique van de Ven’s acting experience shows in Eve’s many layers of nuance, a mixture of humility, docility, and yearning — the last slowly becoming the dominant layer as the story progresses.”
– Andrew Montiveo, Bright Lights Film Journal