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Hollywood is a patriarchal structure that values men. Even in the independent film industry, you have to be able to convince someone, usually a man, to trust you with his money and that he will actually make it back.
-Ava DuVernay
A Brief Herstory of CINEMA Representation of women in film
Features The F-Rating: Promoting women in film? 9 films you should watch (not because they’re feminist) The Uneccessary Romance. Why Feminism should be your thing. Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: Representation of women in Sci-Fi. Where have all the bad girls gone? Sick of Franchise yet- add some women! On the other Side of the Camera: Women in the film Industry. Sexism is Dead
Reviews: In conversation Fatima (2015) Sepideh (2013) Suffragette (2015)
Has anything changed?
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The F-Rating Promoting women in film? Zoe Tweedy
Following the lead of Bath Film Festival many independent festivals and cinemas including the QFT are introducing an ‘F-Rating’ for films containing strong females in the plot, role of director, or starring in the feature. The question is whether this move, which could be seen as a marketing stunt, really promotes the role of women in film or is simply a segregating label liable to stigmatise the films under the rating and hence put potential viewers off. The project’s mission statement which reads as a political manifesto - in particular reference perhaps to the suffrage movements of the early twentieth century- states ‘the stories we see on screen influence our lives. We want to hear stories form everyone, not just from one section of society.’ Whilst this statement is bold and truthful, it also contains the project’s greatest criticism. Though it does highlight two accurate and very important statements about film; that women are underrepresented/inaccurately represented within the industry, and secondly that the depictions of reality as we witness on the screen affect our perception of life. The impact that a film can have on life is limitless such as can be seen in the aftermath of Philadelphia (1993) in elevating the discourse of AIDs from a taboo to open discussion in the public sphere, or Supersize Me (2004) in foregrounding the issue of consumer endorsed obesity. This brings me to highlight the primary issue of the F-rating. In its categorisation of ‘feminist’ film it limits the reachability of said films, as a result to the undue but thoroughly existent negativity towards the term. Whilst it is admirable that there is movement to reclaim the term - for which Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie presents a very persuasive argument in her book We Should All Be Feminists - in the present moment this use is limiting rather than foregrounding the issue. I have come across many individuals men and women alike who associate the term with militant female supremacy and are turned off by any employment of the word. Whilst Feminism does refer to equality (which the project statement highlights) many people become confused- why not just ‘equalisist’ is a common question amongst sceptics (despite the evident unequal distribution of sexism against women as quantitative studies show). It is for this reason that I would argue there is not enough awareness in the general public regarding the issue of feminism, which has been stigmatised in this neoliberal age, required to enable the F-rating an effective scheme. The awareness of the term in the public sphere requires such vital films as Fatima (2015) and He Named Me Malala (2015) to be witnessed on mass, to engage a general audience in an ongoing issue, opposing the all too common stance of post-feminism. This simply could not be achieved were the F-Rating in place, the move in fact corners (and condemns) the work produced by women or presenting strong women in the film industry to a niche market reducing rather than exemplifying their impact.
FEATURE Persepolis (2007)
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All About my Mother (1999)
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9 films you should watch (and not because they are feminist) beyond the debate of representation of women in film is lies the stigma of anything related to the word 'feminist'. So here is compiled is a list of films of varying genre, era and ambition, that are in themselves must see films.They also happen to present a true human representation of women.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
7
Th
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3 Dasies (1966)
Norma Rae (1979)
2 6 Thelma and
Louise (1991)
Crimson Peak (2015)
he Color Purple (1985)
8 9
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9 till 5 (1980)
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The Unnecessary Romance
It is an unusually warm Saturday afternoon. I am at work stacking boxes of Candy Floss when a group of 13 and 14 year old boys burst into the store. As they fight over sweet choices I overhear part of their conversation. “It’s a really good show we’ve just started watching it and it’s so good!” one boy exclaims. The others turn around and look at him with disgust, “The Vampire Diaries – really? But it’s a girly show and all romantic.” The boy looks offended and argues with them, “No it’s not girly at all. It’s not all romance there’s loads of killing and action and stuff, no girls would watch that!” Eventually they agreed on their sweet choice and drifted out of the store.
characters reduced to weak romantic interests. Within the course of a single film Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow transformed from a highly skilled assassin who was treated equally by the men she fought alongside, into a love-struck teenager whose job is to sing a lullaby to the Hulk. As such, the addition of Hope to the list was a welcome announcement to women everywhere until she too fell into the unnecessary romance horror story.
Another example of an interesting female character being reduced to nothing more than an unnecessary romance would be that of Jane Foster in Thor. At the commencement of the film she is portrayed as an intelligent astrophysicist with a constant thirst This conversation troubled me and gave me a lot to think about for for knowledge who is making important contributions to her field. the remaining 5 hours of my shift. Why is it that a group of teenage However, after meeting Thor the strong astrophysicist dissolves boys think that girls will only watch a TV show or movie if it into a woman fawning over an attractive man. Their romance is includes romance? The answer to this question can be found in many unnecessary to the plot of the film and results in Jane not being of Hollywood’s blockbusters. given a chance to use her immense intellect again. The problem evolves in Thor: The Dark World set two years after the original. It Have you ever noticed that many so called ‘guy’ films such as is made clear early in the film that Jane did not deal well with superhero or action movies try to appeal to a female audience by Thor’s absence and has not returned to her work spending all of including a romance and usually an undeveloped, unnecessary her time pining after him and waiting for his return. romance at that? The dreaded unnecessary romance has somehow become a part of our film culture, destroying strong female These are only two examples of an abundance of so called ‘guy characters and side-lining great actresses without many people films’ that add an unnecessary romance in order to appeal to noticing. This is a major issue not only because many talented female audiences. The repercussions from this tendency are actresses are not being provided with the immense. First, the unnecessary romance results in uninteresting intricate roles they desire; but because Hollywood is advocating and unchallenging roles for actresses. Instead they are forced to the idea that women cannot stand alone but have to be connected play the same stereotypical characters with little or no importo a man. tance to the plot of the film. What’s more, it suggests to the viewers, such as the group of teenagers I heard in the shop, that it For example, consider Marvel’s latest addition to the Avengers is ok to side-line women and think of them as simply extensions of family, Ant Man. The romance in question is between Paul Rudd's men. Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne. Throughout the film there is no hint of romantic or even friendly feelings between Furthermore, these films bring to light a very important question: them. In fact Hope spends the majority of the film denying the need why does the film industry think they need to appeal to women in for Scott's presence. She constantly argues with him and frequent- this way. The obvious industry answer is that it is simply to appeal to ly tells him how unnecessary he is while begging her father to a wider audience. However, if this is the case why is nothing added allow her to perform the mission. Despite this within the last 5 to ‘chick-flicks’ to entice the male viewer? Why add a female minutes of the film they suddenly kiss. This one action instantly character simply for romance; why not create a female character transforms her from his disapproving tutor to his romantic that can stand in her own right without romantic links? Isn’t it interest. time that we had more strong female characters in film? Would a complex female character with an interesting character arc not be This sudden romance contradicts both characters development more successful in drawing in the ‘uninterested’ female viewer? throughout the film, particularly Hopes; instantly reducing her The time has come for the industry to end its habit of subjecting from a strong character in her own right to simply an extension of talented female actresses and fascinating female characters to Scott’s ‘redemption arc’. The number of strong female characters unnecessary romances. The time has come for the industry to in the superhero and action film genres is a big problem. The very realise that women are more than plot devices. The time has come short list was made even shorter this year with the release of for the industry and the world to realise that women are more Avengers Age of Ultron as Natasha Romanoff was subjected to a than extensions of men and can be remarkable in their own right. nightmarish romance canon and became the latest victim of female
Danielle Leslie
“The time has come for the industry and the world to realise that women are more than extensions of men and can be remarkable in their own right.�
FEATURE feminism...
WHY
it's just not my thing
FEMINISM SHOULD
BE YOUR THING JOSHUA McGonigle
In the 21st century, many of us in the western world take our education for granted. Females have the same opportunity as males when applying for University. Student loan companies give majority of students the privilege of being able to enjoy the luxury of studying for a degree and females are seen as equal competitors when sitting in a classroom next to male students. However in this same world and at the same time, many girls are being denied the right to their education. He Named Me Malala is a brilliant eye opener to the struggles that a woman living in Pakistan faces. In the 21st century, where man is able to put robots on Mars, girls as young as 14, put their lives in danger, at the hands of the Taliban for wanting an education. Instead of being able to create a future of their own, many have their freedom stolen at a young age, and are forced into marriages. Unlike in the United Kingdom, a legal right to free education does not exist in Pakistan. In an article titled, ‘If you’re a Girl in Pakistan, What Are Your Chances of Going to School?’ ABC news states that 5.4 million children are not in school, and as many of 62% of them are girls. Furthermore, Pakistan isn’t the only country where women don’t have a right to their own education. Sepideh is another movie, which projects the struggle that Iranian women face, in the battle to create a future of their own. Questions about the rights of
women in Iran were raised after the BBC reported that over 30 universities had placed restrictions on the courses that women could study, ranging from engineering to English literature. Upon questioning students around my University, on what they think of feminism, many applied with the answer, ‘It’s not my thing,’ a response coming from males and females. In Northern Ireland, gender doesn’t define whether or not you can study a course. Living with three student female housemates, I asked them the same question of whether or not they ever felt restricted to pursue what they wanted to achieve in their life, because of their gender, each replying with a firm ‘No’. From this it becomes clear why many people state that feminism isn’t ‘their thing’. Female students have no limits placed on what they can study and what they can achieve in the United Kingdom. Malala and Sepideh both overcame their struggles, and are now working towards a future that they want and where they can be independent. However many other girls won’t receive the happy ending that they deserve, which is why more people have to start making feminism ‘their thing’. As a student myself, I wouldn’t appreciate being told I couldn’t achieve something because of my gender, and either would anyone else, so why do we let it happen to innocent girls on the other side of the world?
‘As Long as she thinks of a man nobody
objects to a woman thinking’ Virginia Woolf
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There are plenty of images of women in sci-fi. There are hARDLY anY WOMEN.
-Joanna Russ
MEN ARE FROM MARS WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS
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REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN OF THE FUTURE IN THE PRESENT (AND PAST) joel jackson Science Fiction is a particular branch of media with a peculiar power over our lives and our future. Star Trek portrayed a future with superior communication devices, and the prominence of those devices in a fantasized future led cell phones to become shaped similar to those featured on board the Enterprise. Sure the phone would have been invented inevitably, but Star Trek displayed a working phone that audiences like the style of, and therefore it shaped the end product. This is ideological technology shaping the creation of our current technology.
the centre of feminism, is completely absent. This does not mean this was a failing for feminism, it’s a first step, but it needs to be recognized as that, Leia was evidence of a successful lead female role in feminism. This paves the way for truly admirable figures in the science fiction genre, exemplified by Ripley in the Alien series. She is a strong character, who repeatedly stands up for her own views and beliefs in the face of a crowd of sceptics, and is repeatedly proven right. She works well independently or as a member of a team. These are all positive traits that break the limited nature of most female characters.
Similarly, the different realities created in science fiction media all portray functioning civilizations, and the structure of these functioning civilizations can shape the end product of our society. Not directly, but if everyone is picturing a future with gender equality, and witnessing more civilizations with gender equality working well on screen, this will undoubtedly impact our future.
It is important to look at the nature of females in media beyond the lead roles. The lead roles act as inspiring trail blazers and are crucial, but a subtle reassurance that a woman’s role can be anything is found is shows like Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, or The X-Files. These shows have women working in positions such as fighter pilot, mechanic, detective and even president.
Skipping over the earlier years of cinema, and films like “The Queen Of Outer Space” which has three astronauts slowly dismantle a cruel female leader’s rule using sex appeal, charm, and general manliness, the best starting point would be one of the core pillars of sci-fi. Star Wars.
It is also positive to see that these traits can be found in successful mainstream scifi films. Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian all feature women working as astronauts, scientists and leaders of teams of astronaut scientists respectively. This is an encouraging trend to see gaining roots quietly and subtly. It promotes a positive message in an unaggressive manner and isn’t difficult to do or too much to ask.
Star Wars: A New Hope and feminism brings to mind the iconic figure of Princess Leia. A female figure children have been growing up admiring for years. On the surface this seems like a feminist victory, however, Leia is the only female in that entire film, and her first line is asking a male for help. She spends the first half of the film as a damsel in distress and the second half as a romantic interest for two bickering men. All her pluck and bravery is diminished by the fact none of her actions get her anywhere unless aided by men. Personal independence, which is for me,
Traits like these should be taken in to consideration when watching as contemporary sci-fi develops, with the example of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which seems promising and will hopefully display a positive and evolved form of its earlier successes with subtle amendments to its somewhat hollow female roles.
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Where have All the bad girls gone? When discussing the portrayal of women in film, it is always clear in how Hollywood continues to mishandle the female roles. There has become an increasing demand and aim to have a strong positive presence of a female protagonist, especially in the superhero, fantasy franchise. However, while we need the studios to present strong, independent female roles, we also need to embrace the bad girls! If the demand is for equal representation for women in the film industry then we need both the good and the bad. We need more female villains!
potential. In the X-Men franchise, the audience never get to see how truly powerful Dark Phoenix is, while in The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Talia al Ghul is cast into the shadows due to Bane’s epic performance and presence. The striking absence and failure to explore these characters is overwhelming.
Cinema never really presents us with a true female villain. Disney effectively changed the character of Maleficent in their live-action film Maleficent (2014) from being an iconic villain who caused chaos because she enjoyed the outcome to a woman who was broken and betrayed by a man so she became driven by revenge. Catwoman has been portrayed numerous times over the years as more of an antihero than an actual villain. When presented with female villain from superhero films, they often aren’t explored or developed to their full
Humans are flawed regardless of gender; we need to see this complexity and interesting qualities on screen portrayed by women. With so many books, comics and plays featuring popular female villains, cinema has its pick. Film needs to start using these characters to their full potential and exploring the creation of some original ladies. It’s time for the bad girls to cause some trouble!
The appearance of Amy Dunne, the smart, driven, calculating woman in David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) finally presented us with a full fleshed-out, well written female villain. Not only is Amy portrayed as cunning, manipulative In film, male characters dominate the role of and precise, she is also the main antagonist of being the cold-hearted, calculating, cunning the film, constantly being that one step ahead of character. The interesting, devious devil that her husband, the police and the media. A complicauses havoc and chaos just because they can! cated, complex and more interesting successor The powerful sophisticated and intelligent being to the flat female villains like the Evil Stepthat is a constant threat to our hero. The Joker, mother, Amy is a psychopath, one who uses her Lord Voldemort, Norman Bates, Hannibal...where gender but is not defined by it. A true villain! A is the female equivalent to these unforgettable type of female character we need to see more of villains of cinema? on the big screen.
Caitlin Finlay-McGovern
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- Catwoman (Batman Returns 1992)
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Sick of Franchises yetADD SOME WOMEN! Conor mcguinness
Earlier this year Sony made a deal with Marvel to scrap their then current incarnation of Spider-Man and reboot the character for the second time is as many years so he could join Marvel’s cinematic Avengers team. A team that now only contains one character casual audiences would have recognised pre 2008; Captain America. Marvel haven’t been afraid to place these unknowns on their billion dollar team. So when the internet cried for Miles Morales, the Spider-Man of black hispanic descent to be the MCU’s version it wasn’t an entirely outlandish idea. Why not have a character with a proven track record to be apart of The Avengers and head their own solo franchise with Sony? Would it be a risk to choose a character whose first issue was the third best selling comic book of February 2015 with over 250,000 copies sold? Not in my eyes. Oh and those 250,000 copies. They were sold by Spider-Gwen not Miles Morales or Peter Parker. But Sony would never have had Gwen Stacy turned Spider-Woman headline her own franchise. But why not? Is it because you don’t have big name actresses to carry a franchise? Because all due respect to Tom Holland but most people still don’t know who he is. So that can’t be it? Apparently women deserve to be paid less in Hollywood, even when they are bringing in the same amount of money so cost can’t be an issue. Maybe the reason is the most obvious one. Audiences would not accept a franchise that has been male led for 5 movies switching to a female lead. It simply wouldn’t work. Right? Ladies and Gentlemen, and everybody who groaned at the usage of that phrase, I give to you:
Fury Road is probably my favourite feminist film because it isn’t a feminist film. It’s just a film. And it shows that not only are female led franchise possible (Don’t try and tell me we have them, The Hunger Games and Twilight will not appease the masses.) but Marvel could hand Mjöllnir over to Jane Foster, or have Pepper Potts in the Iron Man suit for more than a gag and after the initial resistance to change, people would still buy tickets for “Infinity War” or “The Avengers 7: Sub Title Unknown” in their millions. Because The Hunger Games (pretty meh apart from most of Catching Fire), Twilight (very meh) and (Shoutout to wegotthiscovered.com for drawing my attention to the female led “franchise”) Scary Movie are just not going to cut it. We can have truly great female led franchises that will in turn inspire more, but they are not being produced. Caitlin pointed out in her article that if there is a fear of risk or failure, use already popular source material to test the waters. And not badly written crap like Divergent or The Mortal Instruments which were destined for mediocrity whether it was led by a male or female. Adapt stories like Skulduggery Pleasant* (Another Mad Max situation where the titular character is not the main character). Or look to the original Swedish adaptations of The Millennium Trilogy for a crash course on how to do a female franchise correctly. And then copy the shit out of it.
*Why has nobody adapted Skullduggery Pleasant?!?!?! I’m sick of your shit Hollywood!
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
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They didn’t even feel the need to change the name. “Mad Maxene” didn’t cross George Miller’s mind when he decided to reinvigorate his franchise with an awesome new character. Who just so happened to be a woman. And who just so happened to be the focus of the film and not it’s titular character, who doesn’t have much in the way of a charter arc other than, “Looks like I have gotten myself in some shit again. I’ll just role with it.”
Fury Road is probably my favourite feminist film because it isn’t a feminist film. It’s just a film.
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Sexists are scared of Mad Max because it is a call to dismantle patriarchies.
- Jessica Valenti
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The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own
- Betty Friedan
In a recent interview Lexi Alexander, director of Green Street (2005) and Lifted (2006) , stated ‘I would say 99% of women working in the film and television industry have experienced sexism’. This is an astounding figure, and one that many female directors, cinematographers and producers would reassert. The reasoning lies perhaps in that, like politics and big business, the film and television industry remains dominated by men, particularly in the top roles. Regarding this there is a sense of indifference in the general public Lexi Alexander summarises this perfectly ‘the general public doesn’t consider out industry a real industry, they think making movies is a rich persons hobby, like golf. So who cares is a bunch of spoiled women can’t play golf?’. The European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA) recently called for “positive action by governments at European and national level to end censorship of women’s view of the world”. In it’s provocative use of the term ‘censorship’ the EWA has drawn vital media attention to itself and also towards the goal of equality in the industry. According to the research that the network has produced, the numbers of women employed in the industry - particularly in the top end roles - peaked in the early 2000s before dropping again to such an extent that in 2013 women made up a smaller percentage of the workforce in the industry than in 1996. Though, not all hope is lost, the Swedish film industry has received much positive press coverage recently as it has achieved an equal balance of male and female directors in the national industry by employing a procedure the BFI should perhaps consider putting in place. The difficulties, that the CEO of the Swedish Film Institute (SFI) Anna Serner faced, in implementing this, were many; but the most primary argument which seemed to limit the progress was that more boys and men wanted to become directors and producers, which seemed supported by the fact that only 25 percent of funding applications to the SFI came from women.
On the other side of the Camera
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This unbalance Serner sought to rectify with education in “social structures and gender equality”, and the scheme proved effective. Serner was facing the battle that women have long such engaged a sentiment I think is well summarised by Mary Wollstonecraft in her A Vindication of the rights of Women (a text which though over 300 years old carries in it a modern sentiment). In the book she argues that so long as the structures that men had created in the education system existed, women would naturally be incapable and threatened to participate. This I think can be aptly transferred to the film industry today, it is not a blatant sexism but the remnants of the patriarchal system which disadvantages women. However, as Serner and her efforts to rectify this in the Swedish film industry demonstrate, this can be changed. It is dismal to think as a woman embarking into an industry though it is likely that I will be employed it is unlikely that I will every achieve the most important roles in production without working many times harder than my male counter-parts. It was Stephen Fry’s closing speech at the 2014 BAFTAs which inspired my to pursue this career, in which he spoke: ‘There are new stories being enacted in the world every day, and there are stories that always need telling in new ways…Everyone in the film world starts out somewhere, and contrary to what you may think, it is not a closed world. Everyone is welcome.’ He was talking of people wanting to become part of the industry itself, however also provides a positive vision of the future of a diverse and inclusive industry, for which everyone should be aware and continue to struggle towards
Zoe Tweedy
At some point most women have been subjected to a sexist statement or a snide comment questioning their ability to do something because they are a woman. Popularly denoted as ‘everyday sexism’. Much of this everday sexism centres around a postfeminist view that the goals of feminism, in achieveing equality for women has been accomplished. However as the very existance of the term ‘everyday sexism’ demonstrates, this is far from the case. contemporary society is rife with inequality, but inequality so prevolent that it is ignored or taken for the norm. tHAT said, how can this issue of blindness be adressed. A hugely influential factor in shaping perceptions is media representation, and hence those who are represented (and those who do the representing) hold much power over this. Here are a few examples of women taking advantage of their media attention to further the discussion of everyday sexism. I’m not a feminist So many girls out there say ‘I’m not a feminist’ because they think it means something angry or disgruntled or complaining. They picture like rioting and picketing, it is not that at all, it just as simply means that you believe that women and men should have equal rights and opportunities. to say you’re not a feminist means that you think men should have more rights than women. Taylor Swift Working women questioned about home life Every single person who interviewed me, I mean every single one, asked me “How do you balance work and family?” As for work-life balance, Ben (Affleck) said no one asked him about it. Ad we do share the same family. Isn’t it time to change that conversation? Jennifer Garner Feminism is just for women I want men to take up this mantle [of gender equality]. So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudics but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too. Emma watson Sexism against women can only be commited by men If you’re a woman trying to make me feel bad for pictures of myself with no makeup f*ck you! I think it’s wrong of the world to make a woman feel sh*t enough about herself that they need a full beat of makeup to catch an airplane. Its promoting women to ridicule each other over an unattainable standard of beauty. Iggy azalea
- Cheris Kramarae
SEXISM IS DEAD
‘Feminism is the radical notion that women are human beings’
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it’s sexist to Think that somebody can’t act in a girly way,or or speak the way i want to speak. Or to assume I’m not a strong or an intelligent woman
becuase of my appearence.
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Review
Fatima (2015)
Dir: Philippe Faucon, French AND ARABIC (SUBTITLED), 79MINUTES
IN CONVERSATION Q: What did you like about the film?
that many people take the University lifestyle for Conor: As a film overall, ignoring for a minute how granted and I would even go as far to say that some women are represented in it (for isn’t that where we people forget that University is a chance to ultimately hope to be, not even having to talk about ultimately further your education. The movie really how well women are represented on screen?) I hit home and made me realize how lucky I actually enjoyed it. It's not my type of film first off; the slow am to be in the position of studying a degree. I do get a burning drama just about a hard life just isn't for lot of help from my parents and other relatives, me, which I know sounds terrible. So for this film to and through the representation of Fatima it made me realize that they have made sacrifices to help me keep me interested the whole way through says something about it, I think. But maybe did in fact have get where I am today and that I should be grateful for that. a lot to do with how refreshing it was regarding women. They skipped past The Hunger Games phase of C: That's an interesting way to look at it. And you are "look how progressive we are, we have a female hero" and showed three dimensional female char- so right about the University experience. And I think acters with more flaws than not. it is important for films that are about the matter of women and feminism, as many of the films at Joshua: Cool! I think the film was really effective, Cannes this year were, that they are not just there which is demonstrated through the fact that, like to service their message. This film had substance to you, it wouldn't have been a film I would have decided it beyond "women are people too guys, c'mon" which means it will reach a wider audience. to go and see in contrast to an action movie. But I think overall it was a brilliant eye opener to how tough some people do get it. I think
Q: What did you not like about the film?
J: Yea I can see where you're coming from with in regards to the representation of the characters. I think the emphasis was that the boys just expected her to say yes like they weren't taking no for an answer, they kept pressing the question, but she had the power to say no, but by saying no they kept trying harder which put the humour into it?
J: I didn't really like the ending of it. I was expecting there to be some kind of closure, like if we were to see Nesrine graduate from medicine school. I felt like it ended just a bit sudden. But in saying that, it ended on an optimistic note. Nesrine had everything going against her. As a young Muslim girl she would Q: What did you think of the technical side of the have been expected to marry and have children, but filmmaking for Fatima? she didn't conform to that. She did fail the exam the first time under all the pressures that she faced J: I thought the cinematography throughout was from making her mother proud to the scrutiny she very organic. It wasn't overly stylised but I think faced from other Muslim women in her own communi- that's because it's not the kind of film to be stylised. ty,but she overcame it and succeeded. The film portrays a realistic situation and I think if they were to have stylised the lighting, colour or C: Funny I actually liked the ending, the ambiguity of framing, it would have distracted the viewer from it. And one of the things I noticed was the complete what the real message of the film is about. Perhaps absence of musical score in the film. So when the if it were the type of movie to have famous actressmusic began to play a few seconds before the cred- es playing in it, it might have appealed more to the its rolled I enjoyed that transition that helped the mainstream. But the problem is that it's not that lack of closure/almost sudden ending along. type of movie. What I didn't like about the film was that I felt sometimes the filmmakers weren't quite sure what they C: Organic, great description! I was very split on wanted particular characters to represent. For what I thought of the film visually. I personally instance, the scene where Nesrine was on the bus didn't like it. Even for the film's plot and subject and the guy was hitting on her and she was rejecting manner I would have preferred something more him because she had work to do. I couldn't tell cinematic, but even when I think that to myself I whether they wanted us to think he was a jerk, as knows that's mostly because I have been conditioned she seemed to be enjoying the craic with him. So did to want what Hollywood provides. But also a lot of they want us to think maybe she should go and talk enjoyment I get from the cinema is looking at to him, she is way too focused on her studies for a particular shots, appreciating, trying to figure out young person. There were a few more instances why they chose the one they did. I believe that if plot where I didn't know what to think about certain and story is 100% what you are interested in, or character motivations and thoughts. interested in telling stories about, write a book. I feel its now time that great representation of women should no longer be the sole focus of a film.
Review
Sepideh (2013) Dir: Berit Madsen, persian (SUBTITLED), 90MINUTES
Sepideh is a 2013 documentary film directed by Berit Madsen revolving around a 16 year old Iranian girl Sepideh who wants to become an astronaut but due to her age, culture and family her nightly stargazing excursions in the desert are seen as dangerous and not an activity a young woman should be taking part in. Caitlin: Personally I really enjoyed this film, finding it really engaging and an interesting watch. It effectively portrayed the expectations that surround a young Iranian woman and how they are very much different to her own expectations of herself and of her ambitions in life. For me it was an engaging portrait of the struggles young woman in the world still have to endure and face today due to family expectations, traditions and cultures, as well as showing an example of trying to capture your dream despite there being consequences along the way. Something I found rather shocking was when Sepideh was having a conversation with her uncle and he made a statement about if she had been his daughter then she wouldn’t be stargazing and he’d rather kill her first that let her do such an activity. For me this was really jarring, it shows how even today in some countries and some cultures women are so limited and confined. Sepideh simply wants to watch the stars at night yet this is seen to be disrespectful towards her family and a danger to her reputation. The presentation of this on screen was for me very well done and really highlighted these issues that are still present today. Sepideh wants to go to University, to stargaze and to become an astronaut, yet her family and culture expect her to learn how to cook, clean and marry young. These expectations that follow her around confine her and many other women across the world. Joel: That was an incredibly shocking scene, but
for me, one of the most unsettling scenes is when she confronts Mr Kibiri, her mentor throughout the film about leaving the country to follow her dreams of becoming an astronaut. Mr Kibiri scolds her, and tells her she is abandoning her duties to him and to her town. For me this was a shocking reveal that someone she had trusted and had relied on for so long was using her and demanding she follow a specific path, just like her uncle was. Just because it is disguise as help for the first half of the film and because it doesn't get revealed in the form of a death threat doesn't mean this isn't a terrible issue that needs to be thoroughly considered. Caitlin: I completely agree. It was so shocking when Mr Kibiri tried to deny her wishes to follow what she wanted and had worked towards. He really showed how manipulating he could be and it was incredibly upsetting to see how someone who had guided her for so long was now trying to limit and confine her, due to his own expectations of what he felt she should do. Joel: In contrast to this we have my personal favourite aspect of the film, the bond between Sepideh and Anousheh Ansari, the first female Iranian Astronaut and Sepideh's hero. Simply watching Ansari's life is enough to inspire Sepideh to throw herself completely into following her dreams, defying everyone who tries to limit her. Then when Ansari sees this, she approaches Sepideh and stops simply inspiring Sepideh, but aids her in achieving the dreams she has been
Review
Sepida’s diary she adresses ‘dear Einstein’ working for her entire life. This relationship and relationships like it are one of the most important aspects of feminism. Strong female figures inspiring strength in others. This creates a cycle that should cause an exponential growth of women independent and content to follow their own goals. Caitlin: The scene involving the telephone call between the two women was such a beautiful scene. I agree with Joel, I think it was amazing to see how one person could have such an influence on someone. Ansari sets the path and allows Sepideh to follow it and along the way discover her own course which was really amazing to see. The presentation of one woman helping another work towards her life goal was truly inspirational and amazing to watch on the screen. Joel: Then combine the inspiring nature of the story, the beautiful relationship between mentor and mentee with the symbolic imagery that comes with stargazing. The fact that all this is set around a girl who spends her free time exhausting herself by
looking at the stars and studying them constantly, while wishing one day she can get the chance of going in to space and being among them. It goes hand in hand with her spending her life looking at her heroes who are no longer restricted by their place of birth or gender, and wishing that one day she can break free from her social "duties" and be among her heroes. Despite it being a documentary it has a suitable poetic style to it. A cycle of inspiration that people should look to re-enact to help gain personal independence as an individual, which is a key pillar of feminism. Caitlin: Sepideh for me really captures the everyday struggles women still endure and face even in today’s world due to family ways, tradition, culture and expectations and brings it to life on screen in such a manner you really feel the hopes, dreams, aspirations, struggles and consequences that surround Sepideh, which I found incredibly inspiring.
Review
SUffragette (2015) Dir: Sarah Govron, English, 106 minutes
Danielle: I thought Suffragette did a good job at representing the working class perspective in Maud’s character (Carey Mulligan), and the sacrifices many women made for the greater cause of women’s suffrage. Particularly as the scriptwriter Abi Morgan, who was originally reluctant to take on the project, was inspired by the working class women’s stories. Also visually this was very well portrayed in the abundance of greys and neutral washed out tones. It was of course also a very emotional storyline. Zoe: I agree that this mostly untold perspective was well represented in the narrative, however I would argue that the film didn't make clear the deception that was occurring in the movement towards the working class women - a deception that if made evident would have made the loses of Maud appear all the more upsetting. Primarily the WSPU were fighting for Women’s suffrage which did not encompass women such as Maud, and only rich landowners. Though the film does make this kind of evident in the end text, it does not acknowledge that the WSPU were at times against universal suffrage (and hence Sylvia Pankhurst’s break away from the WSPU to form the East London Federation of Suffragettes which was for universal suffrage) and were essentially using the working class women as ‘fodder’. Furthermore the film completely obliterates the ethnically diverse women who were on the fringes of the movement, most evidently the prominent figure of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh who marched beside Emmeline Pankhurst on Black Friday. Though it is a period drama and not a documentary, and was attempting to depict the WSPU or Suffragettes in a positive light, so perhaps this misrepresentation is permissible? Danielle: Well if you look at the media attention that the release of the film has gained it has certainly made an impact on the discussion of the issue of feminism in the mass media, so perhaps this makes this misrepresentation acceptable? All of the women depicted in the film were strong willed and yet feminine in the same breath, characters conceived (by scriptwriter Abi Morgan) and realised (Director Sarah Gavron) by women themselves. I was particularly fond of Helena Bonham Carter’s character, Edith Ellyn, based on a real woman Edith Margaret Garrund who was one of the first female martial arts specialists
in the western world and who trained members of the WSPU to fight back against the brutality of the police. To quote Carter to ‘use the force from the attacker and put it back on them—that’s the ultimate defence’ . Zoe: Helena Bonham Carter did play her role as Edith Ellyn very successfully- she comes across as a strong woman both on and off screen. With regards to the overall representation of women in the film I would like to quote something I recently read in an interview of the film ‘unwittingly the filmmakers have given the best bits of the film to the men’. Whilst this can hardly be true, with integration with the men making up less than a third of the onscreen time, it demonstrates perhaps that, with the exception of Edith Ellyn, there was a lack of strength in the characters at least in some viewers eyes. Perhaps this can be explained in that during the publicity of the film the teasers focused on the confrontational moments and lines of the male characters to sell the film, and perhaps this tainted viewers perspective - making these moments the important ones. Danielle: Perhaps the marketing was off, this was also highlighted with the overuse of Meryl Streep in the campaign compared to her fleeting performance in the film. Visually I felt also that the suffragette colours which were overused in the advertising fell very short in the film - the occasional flower here and banner there. Other than that though as a fiction film I think it was a very successful and emotive narrative which has made me more aware of the history. Also the rolling titles at the end which revealed in which year women gained the vote across the world, I think this was very powerful and brought the story into one of contemporary importance. Zoe: I would agree with that consensus the emotive impact of the story was plentiful, particularly the titles as you say. Though I must admit I was a little disappointed from the misrepresentation (in my eyes) which perhaps tainted my viewing of the feature. Visually there was little separating the film from a British BBC drama such as Ripper Street and I think this also affected my perception of the film.
Window-breaking, when Englishmen do it, is regarded as honest expression of political opinion. Window-breaking, when Englishwomen do it, is treated as a crime.
- Emmaline Pankhurst
FEATURE
HAS aNYTHING cHANGED?
This has an impact on the representation in many ways. Firstly in availability, as the more independently produced films are becoming available online they become more accessible to make an impression, and also allow women to become established in the industry through this route. Secondly the experience of film spectatorship is no longer as it was, now becoming more communal and social rather than the isolated experience in the black shroud of the cinema. This leads to more directly discursive involvement of said filmic representations directly in the public sphere, allowing one video to respond to another. But has this change in the culture of spectatorship alongside the “progressive” views of contemporary culture really led to a change in representation of women on screen? Hollywood’s dominating male gaze may no longer be the predominant form of the camera (even this fact is arguable as the individuals behind the craft itself still
remain predominantly male) but does there still persist an undercurrent of the patriarchal hierarchy which remains the scaffolding of the film industry. The various quotes scattered through this document by women in the industry remains testament to the prevalence of sexism during production. The response from spectators gives the impression that though things are improving there still remains elements of the ‘male gaze’ whether intentional or as a result of the male domination in the industry. This is a statement which is demonstrative of the fact that there is still a long path to travel until the balanced representation of women on screen is achieved. This starts with balanced views in reality which I would argue, despite what many post-feminist theorists argue, has not been achieved.
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The focus of exploration in this zine has been on the representation of women in film, particularly centred around the BFIs Time is Now film season, a season of feminist film inspired by the launch of Suffragette (2015). Beyond this however is the question of the representation of women more broadly in film, which is an evolving question as not only are attitudes changing but also the method of distribution and presentation of film itself is changing.
Head to the website for regular updates and more information . Rara Avis currently has a video essay on the same topic.
www.raraavis.moonfruit.com
Women are not a niche audience and they are no more 'risky' as filmmakers than men. It is unfortunate that these beliefs continue to limit the industry’s relevance in today’s marketplace
- Dr. Martha Lauzen
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www.Raraavis.moonfruit.com more articles released periodically on all the topics covered in this issue.
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