By Machaela Nicholls
Women Behind the Camera (2007) is a film made by women for women. It brings to the forefront the pioneering women who pursued a life of camerawork in a male-dominated profession. It takes us all around the world, interviewing an array of inspiring women including Agnès Varda, Joan Giummo, Brianne Murphy, Hilda Mercado and Leelaben Paben as well as many others.
The film is broken up into chapters, with each one delving into different aspects of what being a camerawoman has been like, drawing on archive and on-set footage as well as interviews. This ranges from the struggles within the industry, to balancing being a mother and a cinematographer to the distinct visual styles they have. For example, Lisa Rinzler tried to create a sense of heightened reality when working on Menace II Society (1997); taking a liking to this type of cinematography, she focuses on giving each shot meaning.
These women tell us their stories of getting into the industry. They faced sexism, racism, discrimination, and sexual harassment. They persevered despite all the hardships and kept going. Many men in the industry told them they didn’t belong or ignored them all together – but they kept fighting for equality. This led to the founding of Behind the Lens in 1984, an organisation created by women who struggled to find work, in order to support and promote each other.
We hear these women’s voices and hear their inspiring stories. They advocate for women’s involvement in film and call for more women’s voices to be heard as they are so incredibly valuable. This is an excellent celebration of women and of a profession that is often pushed into the background. Here, we finally see the women behind the lens, who help tell our stories.
You can watch Women Behind the Camera on Kanopy.
Further viewing and reading
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) (2019), cinematographer Lisa Rinzler, available on Kanopy Nikki Baughan (2018) ‘17 Female Cinematographers to Celebrate’