Contemporary Women Directors

Despite recent media attention to the gender gap in Hollywood, women still account for less than 10% of all directors, and only five women have ever been nominated for the Best Director Oscar. However, these abysmal statistics do not reflect the reality that female directors are producing some of the most innovative and exciting films of the 21st century. This course is intended to provide a general overview of the remarkable contributions of women directors to contemporary cinema (1990 to present). First, we will turn our attention to women in the commercial industry, examining topics such as female authorship, popular genres, and the gender politics of production cultures in Hollywood. Then, we will survey women directors working outside of the system in documentary, independent, and experimental filmmaking modes. Finally, we will adopt a transnational perspective to investigate the contributions of women directors to world cinema, contextualizing the films of "women cinéastes" from countries such as Hong Kong, Argentina, and Iran in relation to their national cinemas and international film festival networks. In addition, we will discuss the films of women directors in terms of feminist and gender issues and as texts that clarify critical issues in film analysis, interpretation, and criticism. Required screenings: Wednesdays @ 7pm

Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

Contemporary Women Directors

FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES 368

Section A

Section 01