Liz's thoughts on feminist media
First of all, I must say that I learned a lot over the semester—but I feel like I’ve been facing this area in our media for a long time (like the noticeable gaze, gender stereotypes, etc.). However, I don’t think that I’ll ever completely understand it all. There are just so many theories, issues, and context to consider that it can really get quite overwhelming. Yet, I think that it’s still very important to continue to develop this “feminist� study. Whether we like it or not, feminism, and masculinity play a huge role in our society. They not only define our culture, but also help us to shape the way we define ourselves.
Yet, defining what makes media feminist can be very challenging. Although it’s necessary to know the context (who’s making the film, profiting from the film, writing the film, etc.), I believe that the film’s form (“filmic analysis�) and the film’s content (issues, themes, topics within the frame, etc.) are essential to consider. I mean, it’s not like all the filmmakers are telling you face to face that they’re making feminist media—or that they consider themselves to be feminist filmmakers. Making the declaration might help in some way, but it doesn’t really answer the main question—what makes the media “feminist.�
In a very simple definition, I think that feminist media generally centers on the female experience with issues such as voice, representation, and equality between men and women (content), and must visually represent a female gaze/perspective (form).
These are some filmmakers that I consider to be “feminist� filmmakers (obviously they’re all women… but again, being a woman doesn't necessarily make them “feminist filmmakers,� and it's not the only thing that defines them as "feminist filmmakers"):
Jane Campion(“The Piano�), Kimberly Peirce (“Boy’s Don’t Cry�), Nora Ephron (“Hanging Up�)… and Claire Denis (“Chocolat�—and not the one with Johnny Depp)
Also, here’s a link to an interesting interview with Claire Denis, a French filmmaker:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/05/35/claire_denis_interview.html
And some of her trailers at imdb.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0219136/