My Love Affair With Marriage
an Animated Feature Film by Signe Baumane
Press - Reviews
"Latvian filmmaker Signe Baumane quietly delivered one of the best female resistance films of the year — and it's animated. It's a wonderful surprise in a movie already filled to the brim with them. It's a sprawling story that follows the life of Zelma (voiced by Dagmara Domińczyk), a girl who is destined to walk down the much-tread path of her ancestors to be married to a man and taken care of. But the more she grows up and experiences new things, including bullies at school and terrible boyfriends, the more she realizes that what's destined for her may not be for her. Her body even resists the thought of such conformity. My Love Affair With Marriage is an exuberant and complex movie about the journey to female rebellion." — Candice Frederick, HuffPost
“Funny, moving, and visually stunning throughout, it's easily one of the most distinct animated films I've seen in quite a while and it serves as a needed reminder that animation is an art form that can be used for more than family-oriented narratives." - Peter Sobczynski, RogerEbert.com
"A joyfully exuberant piece of work that manages to conduct some serious examination of human behavior whilst always being nothing less than gloriously entertaining. Many of its themes of gender, identity and conformity also seem incredibly timely." - Laurence Boyce, Cineuropa
"This film is something special. It's unafraid to reveal our innermost thoughts, fears, hopes, regrets, mistakes, and dreams. It celebrates unfiltered authenticity with clever writing and delightful visuals. It's an outstanding feminist film that will undoubtedly win over audiences everywhere." - Liz Whittemore, ReelNewsDaily
"One of the best movies of the year. Signe Baumane's film is absolutely brimming with life, wonder, exploration, grief, trauma, longing, love, and so much more to the point where you could easily argue that this is the most expressive film in years."- Caillou Pettis, Caillou Pettis Movie Reviews
"For those who have more contained ideas about animated films, My Love Affair with Marriage will doubtless make them think twice about the medium's endless possibilities. This is a deeply funny, socially conscious sharp satire with heart." - Josh Batchelder, Josh At The Movies
"Right from the start, Signe Baumane's animation proves it has earned a place in the hallowed halls of raw storytelling. Rough, storybook-sketched 2D characters are layered on top of highly texturized stop-motion backgrounds, detailing every paint stroke, scrape, sometimes even mold spore. And the imagery is just the start." - Victoria Davis, Animation World Network