Did you know that only 6% of the 250 top-grossing films of 2013 were made by women?
This statistic is one that the Citizen Jane Film Festival, a festival put on by Stephens College that features films made by female filmmakers, repeated over and over again this weekend. Why? Because it is important.
Let me first tell you a little bit about the festival. Citizen Jane is put on by Stephens College, an all-girls private school here in Columbia, MO. The festival screens "independent films by independent women" to promote the work of female filmmakers in an industry that is and always has been male dominant. Through this festival, they promote and encourage female filmmakers (as well as aspiring female filmmakers) to create films and get them out into the public so that the public can have a more diverse and less standardized view of the world through cinema.
Why is this important? Why do we need more women in film? The answer is that when men are the main playmakers behind what's being made and shown to audiences, we as viewers get a distorted view of reality. We see women being overly sexualized (the "male gaze" is a point of view in film where the camera follows the gaze of a male character and sees a women the way he sees her - typically as a sex symbol - and it is a common thing in Hollywood films); we often see women as teachers, housewives, and secretaries, and less in positions of power; we basically see women being shown as inferior to men in every way.
So why is this representation of women problematic? When women are portrayed a certain way in film, it not only reflects society’s current views of women, but it reinforces them. And when viewers see women being shown a certain way, they become affected by that and start projecting it onto women in real life. Film - as well as other types of media (books, television, magazines, etc.) - has a huge effect on society and the way we view things. It’s important to have diversity so that male hegemony doesn't continue to dictate the way we view the world
Getting back to Citizen Jane now: I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer with the festival this year, which means I had free access to the films when I wasn't on shift. I ended up seeing four films over the three days. Hellion was the Opening Night film - it centers around a family trying to keep it together after the mother dies and the father turns to alcohol to cope with the loss. The older son is into motocross and hopes to use a win at an upcoming competition to prove himself and show that his family is capable of ultimately doing better. While it started out slow, the film's climax had me on the edge of my seat, and by the end I was completely engrossed. The end of the film was just perfect. The performances were fitting as well – none of the boys were professional actors, so their performances made the film more authentic, and Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis, who play the dad and the aunt, complemented them well. The performances were powerful and gritty and ultimately drove the film.
The second movie I saw was Lucky Them, a comedy-drama about a music journalist (Toni Collette) who is assigned to track down her ex-boyfriend/rock legend Matthew Smith for a story. She teams up with a rich socialite (played by Thomas Haden Church) to find him, and through her search ends up on a journey of self-discovery. Thomas Haden Church was great in this movie - he was quirky and odd and funny and I just loved it. Toni Collette was great as well, and I thought her performance was very fitting for the character. The two of them were surprisingly great together, and their blend of humor and drama made the film incredibly heartwarming.
The third movie - my personal favorite - was Appropriate Behavior, a comedy created by former NYU student Desiree Akhavan. The film explores the themes of self-identification and self-expression through the lens of a twenty-something bisexual Iranian (played by Akhavan) who struggles to get her life together after a breakup. While the film is funny and quirky, it also addresses issues very relevant in today’s world. I'll be writing up a separate post reviewing and analyzing this film.
Lastly, there was We'll Always Have Paris. This was my least favorite of the four. The film was formatted like your typical romantic comedy, but the chemistry between the main character - The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg - and his girlfriend was almost nonexistent, and too many of the jokes didn't land. I did find it interesting that the director is the wife of the lead actor, and the movie is based off of real events from their relationship. This film was a form of self-reflection and healing for the two of them, which – at least in my eyes - gives it more substance than most other romantic comedies.
Overall, each of the films I saw this past weekend was unique and had something interesting to say. I’m so glad I was able to participate in this amazing festival – or, as the “Janies” put it, this movement – that gives women a voice and allows them to share their stories with a larger audience.
This statistic is one that the Citizen Jane Film Festival, a festival put on by Stephens College that features films made by female filmmakers, repeated over and over again this weekend. Why? Because it is important.
Let me first tell you a little bit about the festival. Citizen Jane is put on by Stephens College, an all-girls private school here in Columbia, MO. The festival screens "independent films by independent women" to promote the work of female filmmakers in an industry that is and always has been male dominant. Through this festival, they promote and encourage female filmmakers (as well as aspiring female filmmakers) to create films and get them out into the public so that the public can have a more diverse and less standardized view of the world through cinema.
Why is this important? Why do we need more women in film? The answer is that when men are the main playmakers behind what's being made and shown to audiences, we as viewers get a distorted view of reality. We see women being overly sexualized (the "male gaze" is a point of view in film where the camera follows the gaze of a male character and sees a women the way he sees her - typically as a sex symbol - and it is a common thing in Hollywood films); we often see women as teachers, housewives, and secretaries, and less in positions of power; we basically see women being shown as inferior to men in every way.
So why is this representation of women problematic? When women are portrayed a certain way in film, it not only reflects society’s current views of women, but it reinforces them. And when viewers see women being shown a certain way, they become affected by that and start projecting it onto women in real life. Film - as well as other types of media (books, television, magazines, etc.) - has a huge effect on society and the way we view things. It’s important to have diversity so that male hegemony doesn't continue to dictate the way we view the world
Getting back to Citizen Jane now: I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer with the festival this year, which means I had free access to the films when I wasn't on shift. I ended up seeing four films over the three days. Hellion was the Opening Night film - it centers around a family trying to keep it together after the mother dies and the father turns to alcohol to cope with the loss. The older son is into motocross and hopes to use a win at an upcoming competition to prove himself and show that his family is capable of ultimately doing better. While it started out slow, the film's climax had me on the edge of my seat, and by the end I was completely engrossed. The end of the film was just perfect. The performances were fitting as well – none of the boys were professional actors, so their performances made the film more authentic, and Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis, who play the dad and the aunt, complemented them well. The performances were powerful and gritty and ultimately drove the film.
The second movie I saw was Lucky Them, a comedy-drama about a music journalist (Toni Collette) who is assigned to track down her ex-boyfriend/rock legend Matthew Smith for a story. She teams up with a rich socialite (played by Thomas Haden Church) to find him, and through her search ends up on a journey of self-discovery. Thomas Haden Church was great in this movie - he was quirky and odd and funny and I just loved it. Toni Collette was great as well, and I thought her performance was very fitting for the character. The two of them were surprisingly great together, and their blend of humor and drama made the film incredibly heartwarming.
The third movie - my personal favorite - was Appropriate Behavior, a comedy created by former NYU student Desiree Akhavan. The film explores the themes of self-identification and self-expression through the lens of a twenty-something bisexual Iranian (played by Akhavan) who struggles to get her life together after a breakup. While the film is funny and quirky, it also addresses issues very relevant in today’s world. I'll be writing up a separate post reviewing and analyzing this film.
Lastly, there was We'll Always Have Paris. This was my least favorite of the four. The film was formatted like your typical romantic comedy, but the chemistry between the main character - The Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg - and his girlfriend was almost nonexistent, and too many of the jokes didn't land. I did find it interesting that the director is the wife of the lead actor, and the movie is based off of real events from their relationship. This film was a form of self-reflection and healing for the two of them, which – at least in my eyes - gives it more substance than most other romantic comedies.
Overall, each of the films I saw this past weekend was unique and had something interesting to say. I’m so glad I was able to participate in this amazing festival – or, as the “Janies” put it, this movement – that gives women a voice and allows them to share their stories with a larger audience.