Singled Out

Mariona Guiu and Ariadna Relea, the filmmakers behind Singled [Out], explore the stigma of the single woman in their globe-trotting documentary. The way author Eva Illouz (Why Love Hurts) sees it, "girls have to learn attachment," since society defines women by their ability to care for others, while men are encouraged to be autonomous. In Istanbul, Melek  leaves men's shoes outside her apartment door so that neighbors will think she's in a relationship. She doesn't really care whether she settles down or not. She's more concerned that that's the expectation for Turkish women. Her unsympathetic aunt feels that women are too particular, and that it's better for Melek to get married and have children than to fall in love. In Spain, 40-year-old Manu tries online dating in hopes of meeting a partner with whom to start a family. She's so committed to motherhood that she undergoes IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment. Jules, a chef in Melbourne, also tries online dating, and expresses her frustrations about it through stand-up comedy. Shu and Yang, businesswomen in Shanghai, have become successful by putting their careers first. Now in their mid-30s, they hope to find men with whom to share their lives. According to sociologist Li Yinhe, Chinese parents find the lack of grandchildren disrespectful, so some turn to matchmaking services to speed the process along. Several women in the film feels that it's harder to meet men if they're perceived as too accomplished, like Yang who has a doctorate. As the film ends, not one of the women has found a partner, but nor do they seem all that depressed about it, an encouraging conclusion. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)