Visual Culture Level 3 proposal (2012)

7/31/2019 Visual Culture Level 3 proposal (2012)

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Visual Culture Level 3 Proposal

Name: Hiu Tung Karen LawStudent ID: 11041177Programme: Media Practice Level 2

What are the viewpoints of British women filmmakers and Hong Kong women

filmmakers on new feminism? Do they agree with the statement that new

feminism helps women to be film directors? How do they think about women

working in film industry?

In my level 2 essay, I discussed women directors in the film industry and

whether new feminism has any effects on the industry, since the imbalance of

gender distribution in the industry has happened for a long time. Even later on

starting from 1900s, the new feminism rose and developed, which helped

women be more active and got better-paid jobs. From my research, the first

woman director appeared in 1890s, and most of them are not as popular as men

directors. And the recognition of women directors is not as much as that of men

directors.

In my level 2 essay, I discussed more on women directors in Hong Kong. But in

level 3 essay, I would like to compare the differences in development of Asian

women directors and Western women directors. I would like to take Hong Kong

and British women directors as examples. My aim is to find out the

circumstances of women working in the film industry now, especially those who

have important roles like directors, scriptwriters or camerawomen. Are there

any differences of women trying to get into the Eastern and Western film

industries? What do they think about new feminism? How do they get along with

other male colleague? What do they think about the future of women directors?

What are the current debates about this topic?

Even women begin to engage in debates about their position in society and the

ways women are represented in film, television and advertising, the film

industry is always male-dominant. Masculinities and feminism in the film


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industry are good to be discussed. Image and identity strand explains quite a lot

on male and female gaze.

Taste and values of audience are related to the topic as well. The image and

identity of women and men in the films give particular impressions to the public.How do women and men directors construct their own image and identity? Are

there any differences of constructing men and women images in films by women

and men directors?

In creative workplace strand, the auteur theory suggests directors should reveal

their personal creative vision and point of view in their films. Women used to be

more passive and hide their opinions, which contradicted to the theory. Is it good

for women to be aggressive and active in society?

I did quite a lot research on Hong Kong women directors for my level 2 essay. I

think I will use them again as part of my study. And I found many books about

British cinema in the library. But the problem is most of the books are written in

90s and the viewpoints, theories and circumstances on feminism may be

different from now and some may not be updated. So I think of doing interviews

with some women directors or people in the women in film organizations. There

are some communities that I am interested in. The first one is Bird Eyes View. It

supports international women filmmakers and is based in the UK. Another one is

called Women in Film and Television (UK). The community has offices in both UK

and Hong Kong, which will be useful to me if I can get interviews with somebody

in both offices.

I will keep an eye on the articles in magazines in Hong Kong and UK and the web

blogs in the magazine websites. I know there was a Summer International Film

Festival 2011 in Hong Kong last year. I will be in Hong Kong in the summer. I will

keep checking if there are any film festivals in this summer.

Bibliography:

Books:Acker, Ally (1991) Reel women: pioneers of the cinema, 1896 to the present .Vatsford

Fisher, Lucy (1989) Shot/Countershot: Film Tradition and Womens Cinema.Princeton University Press


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Harper, Sue (2000) Women in British cinema: mad, bad and dangerous to know .Continuum

Karriker, Alexandra Heidi (2002) Film studies: women in contemporary worldcinema . P.Lang

Mayne, Judith (1990) The Woman at the Keyhole: Feminism and Womens Cinema.Indiana University Press

Pietropaolo, Laura and Testaferri, Ada (1995) Feminisms in the cinema. IndianaUniversity Press

Quart, Barbara Koenig (1988) Women Directors: The Emergence of New Cinema.Praegar

Redding, Judith (1997) Film Fatales: Independent Women Directors . Seal Press

Rich, B. Ruby (1998) Chick Flicks: Theories and Memories of the Feminist FilmMovement. N.C.: Duke University Press

Journals:Shubowitz, Devorah (under the direction of Goehlert, Robert) 2010, Feministand Gender Studies in Global Perspective: A Bibliography , Indiana University

Perks, S. (2009) Visible secrets: Hong Kongs women film-makers. Film

International (16516826), 7 (4), pp.4 8-56, Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson),EBSCOhost

Willis, A. (2009) Hong Kong cinema since 1997: troughs and peaks.FilmInternational (16516826), 7 (4), pp. 6-17, Art Full Text (H.W. Wilson),EBSCOhost

Websites:Birds Eye View (2009) Available from: http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/2/home/homepage.html

British Universities Film & Video Council (2012) Available from:http://bufvc.ac.uk/

Cinenova (2012) Available from: http://www.cinenova.org/

The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (2009) Available from:http://society.hkiff.org.hk/en/index.php

Women in Cinema: A Reference Guide (1994) Available from:http://people.virginia.edu/~pm9k/libsci/womFilm.html


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Women in Film and Television (UK) (2012) Available from:http://www.wftv.org.uk/wftv/

Women in Film & Television: A Bibliography of Selected Materials in the UCBerkeley Libraries, 1996 (Late update in 2009) Available from:http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/womenbib.html

Visual Culture Level 3 proposal (2012)

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