What is the history of women’s filmmaking in the US? What is the history of women’s representation in US cinema? What is the relevance of feminist film theory today?
This module aims to explore critical issues pertaining to women and US film from the mid-20th century to the present day. The course will look at questions surrounding women's production and women's representation across US film and interrogate the links between the two.
We will be introduced to key issues in feminism, feminist film theory and women's filmmaking to consider how various forms of cinema, from mainstream Hollywood films to independent productions and art cinema, explore these issues. We will engage with a range of conceptual and theoretical frameworks from foundational arguments in feminist film theory (such as issues surrounding the male gaze and auteur theory) to the most pressing questions relating to women and film today, such as intersectionality, #MeToo, and the value of women`s creative work.
- Module Supervisor: Sarah Smyth