USA | 72 min | NR | DCP | Dir.Anna Rose Holmer
Toni trains as a boxer with her brother at a community center in Cincinnati’s West End, but becomes fascinated by the dance team that also practices there. Enamored by their strength and confidence, Toni eventually joins the group, eagerly absorbing routines, mastering drills, and even piercing her own ears to fit in. As she discovers the joys of dance and of female camaraderie, she grapples with her individual identity amid her newly defined social sphere. Shortly after Toni joins the team, the captain faints during practice. By the end of the week, most of the girls on the team suffer from episodes of fainting, swooning, moaning, and shaking in a seemingly uncontrollable catharsis. Soon, however, the girls on the team embrace these mysterious spasms, transforming them into a rite of passage. Toni fears “the fits” but is equally afraid of losing her place just as she’s found her footing. Caught between her need for control and her desire for acceptance, Toni must decide how far she will go to embody her new ideals. (Oscilloscope)
"You can watch “The Fits” as a metaphor for female adolescence, or just revel in the way these girls can’t seem to hold still: perched on a railing, they seem to be diving into some unknown void, only to pull themselves back upright again — at least for now." (Moira Macdonald, The Seattle Times)
film@union.wisc.edu
608-262-1143
Get fresh updates from Wisconsin Union and be in the know on upcoming events.
WUD Film presents a Lakeside Cinema screening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl".
WUD Film presents a Lakeside Cinema screening of "Jennifer's Body".
This is a past event and has been archived for reference.