Spring Break
Lunafest Celebrates Women
Makers Of Luna Bars Sponser A Night Showcasing Diversity
Diane Dauplaise
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Focus
Luna, the makers of nutrition bars geared towards women, intended to send a simple message to students at their presentation on Wednesday night.
"Never think you cannot do it, never stop until you get it," advised Jimena Florit, two-time Olympian and Pan American Gold Medalist who served as the keynote speaker for the Lunafest film series in the Student Union Theatre. The event was held in honor of International Women's Day sponsored by Luna and the UConn cultural centers. The money raised by the event was used to go towards Luna's Breast Cancer fund. Florit was chosen for this event not only because of her athletic accomplishments, but also because of her attitude towards the potential of women. In a brief interview prior to the film series she credited her mother for endowing her with the drive and ambition she said was crucial to her success. Florit also praised Luna for their investment into programs giving women opportunities such as the program Luna Chix, which is dedicated to getting women outdoors and expanding their horizons by trying new sports.
The idea of empowerment was echoed in the film series that followed Florit's opening speech. The film series "by, for and about women" ranged in length from two to twenty minutes and touched on various subject matters such as political strife, cultural difference, ethnicity, sexual orientation and many others. One film, "Make a Wish," showed a young Palestinian girl running around her war-torn town in desperate search for the perfect birthday cake. In the end, the audience learns that the cake is actually to commemorate the birthday of her deceased father who the film implies died in the crossfire of the political issues.
"It conveyed the tension well and it showed the different roles women play to themselves and others," said 7th-semester, physiology and neurobiology major Stuti Akella, who stated that the film was her favorite of the series.
Other films included a darkly comedic, yet touching, story of an elderly woman who purchases a box of happiness only to later trade it in for a pair of stilettos. Possibly the greatest strength of the fest was the diversity in the films. The films, all prize winners at distinguished festivals, covered topics so broad that any audience member could relate to at least one. Stories of young women hiding their sexual orientation from their families contrasted with a mother losing her baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rounded out the series.
"Never think you cannot do it, never stop until you get it," advised Jimena Florit, two-time Olympian and Pan American Gold Medalist who served as the keynote speaker for the Lunafest film series in the Student Union Theatre. The event was held in honor of International Women's Day sponsored by Luna and the UConn cultural centers. The money raised by the event was used to go towards Luna's Breast Cancer fund. Florit was chosen for this event not only because of her athletic accomplishments, but also because of her attitude towards the potential of women. In a brief interview prior to the film series she credited her mother for endowing her with the drive and ambition she said was crucial to her success. Florit also praised Luna for their investment into programs giving women opportunities such as the program Luna Chix, which is dedicated to getting women outdoors and expanding their horizons by trying new sports.
The idea of empowerment was echoed in the film series that followed Florit's opening speech. The film series "by, for and about women" ranged in length from two to twenty minutes and touched on various subject matters such as political strife, cultural difference, ethnicity, sexual orientation and many others. One film, "Make a Wish," showed a young Palestinian girl running around her war-torn town in desperate search for the perfect birthday cake. In the end, the audience learns that the cake is actually to commemorate the birthday of her deceased father who the film implies died in the crossfire of the political issues.
"It conveyed the tension well and it showed the different roles women play to themselves and others," said 7th-semester, physiology and neurobiology major Stuti Akella, who stated that the film was her favorite of the series.
Other films included a darkly comedic, yet touching, story of an elderly woman who purchases a box of happiness only to later trade it in for a pair of stilettos. Possibly the greatest strength of the fest was the diversity in the films. The films, all prize winners at distinguished festivals, covered topics so broad that any audience member could relate to at least one. Stories of young women hiding their sexual orientation from their families contrasted with a mother losing her baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) rounded out the series.
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