Changing the Object

Feminist film scholars are changing the way film history is done. Film histories, whether focused on Hollywood, national, world, or alternative cinemas, often relegate women's contributions to footnotes, last chapters, anomalous honorable mentions, or special case studies. Feminist film historians are changing that. Incorporating the insights of feminist film theory, their focus has shifted from the portrayal of women on screen to women as producers. Often to access the latter, feminist scholars change or invent new objects of study in order to chronicle the expressive dimension of women's participation in Hollywood and other modes of filmmaking. The scholars in this series write new film histories by considering women's production of ephemera, memoirs, and non-industrial film projects. They consider the star as producer and engage the history of feminism within film studies.

Speakers: 
Patricia White, Swarthmore
Amelie Hastie, UCSC