Screenshot of Christa Wolf, from Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf (1990), directed by Karlheinz Mund, DEFA Film Library.
Christa Wolf was a revolutionary German novelist whose personal writings empowered the German people to stand up against oppression and the patriarchal society. In Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf (1990), we are allowed into Wolf’s home as she tells us of her involvement within the political sphere and the change she helped to enact.
We are shown archive footage from political and literary meetings alongside in-home interviews. Some of this is interlaced with Wolf’s voice-over reading from her novels and speeches. Through this we gain understanding of what inspired her artistic work.
She explains that she writes from a very personal place and is constantly questioning herself, which she brings into her writing. She talks about the effect growing up in Nazi Germany had on her writing and how she always advocated for a better government. Wolf is also inspired by love in her writing, stating that writing would suffer without love and that you need love to be able to write.
Wolf also advocates for women’s rights and the importance of women having a voice. This led her to founding a woman’s writing club in the 1980s where they would meet and discuss politics and their artistic work.
This film brings a voice to a great woman whose involvement in politics and writing changed Germany for the better. She decided to take action even when she felt that everyone was against her.
You can watch Time Loops: In Conversation with Christa Wolf on Kanopy
Further viewing:
Divided Heaven (1963) – based on Wolf’s novel, Der geteilte Himmel, directed by Konrad Wolf
Dramatized radio interview between Zora Neale Hurston (Kim Brockington) and Mary Margaret McBride (Marceline Hugot). Screenshot from Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun (2008), directed by Sam Pollard, Kristy Anderson Films.
Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun explores the research, travels and relationships of one of the most significant African-American women of the 1900s – author, playwright, filmmaker and anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston. Living in the deep South, Hurston developed intensive research on Hoodoo religion and black folklore and published many books that are still loved today, including Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) and Moses, Man of the Mountain (1939). Jump at the Sun celebrates the life of an outspoken and independent woman.
Hurston’s vibrant character is lifted from the screen, through a combination of grainy archival footage (some of which Hurston shot herself), new interviews with scholars and re-enactments. Jump at the Sun leaves no stone unturned, delving into her upbringing, research-driven travels, turbulent work relationships, political affiliations and huge literary success. It is no surprise that this documentary took 18 years to create given Hurston’s eclectic portfolio.
Jump at the Sun emphasises the strength of her success in a southern backdrop. Hurston broke racial stereotypes which allowed her into white spaces. She demonstrated how articulate composure made success more accessible, as part of the rise of the Black intelligentsia in the 1920s-1930s. Hurston is celebrated for stirring the existing literary canon as a successful black female writer, while bolstering black communities, culture and religion at the same time.
You can watch Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun on Kanopy.
Screenshot from Women Behind the Camera, written, directed and produced by Alexis Krasilovsky, Canyon Cinema Foundation.
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.
Screenshot of Maryanne Amacher from Sisters with Transistors (2020), directed by Lisa Rovner, Aspect Ratio Films.
Lisa Rovner’s first feature documentary, Sisters with Transistors (2020), takes us through the forgotten history of pioneering women who shaped electronic music. From mathematicians to classical musicians, the history of electronic music is one of discovery and experimentation but also the erased relationship between women and technology. Delicately narrated by Laurie Anderson, a pioneer herself, Sisters with Transistors presents us with another case of women finding their own space in industries dominated by men.
From rare footage of Clara Rockmore expertly playing the theremin (an instrument played without physical contact) to Delia Derbyshire’s iconic composition of the Doctor Who theme, this documentary foregrounds the intelligence, charisma and determination of women directing the evolution of sound, from the post-war and countercultural period, into what we recognise today. However, their careers were not always taken seriously or credited. When Bebe Barron and her husband, Louis Barron, composed the first all-electronic film score for Forbidden Planet (1956), it was not taken seriously by executives simply for being ‘electronic’. Suzanne Ciani describes the preconceptions of being a female music composer, walking into studios where men assumed she was a singer.
Rovner lets the pioneers talk for themselves through archival footage. Her articulate and understated filmmaking is like viewing a postcard. The quality of many of these clips is like watching stagnant time, but seeing these pioneering women move freely and passionately with technology is as liberating as their discoveries. Their remarkable lives and hard work are lifted off the screen by the dissonant, vibrating and oscillating sounds of their machines.
By Charlotte Woods – former Sustainable Development in Practice masters student
As it stands, we live in a world where women do not share the same level of protections, treatment, or respect as their male counterparts. This unfair treatment is recognised globally as unacceptable witness goal 5 ‘Gender equality’ of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and action must be taken to create a fairer world. In this blog we explore how Fairtrade is tackling the issue.
The Picture is taken from a Fairtrade Campaign. It reads ‘She Deserves a Living Income – Don’t feed exploitation, choose Fairtrade’.
First a bit of background on how Fairtrade works: it is a globally recognised set of standards which are geared towards supporting the sustainable development of small producers and agricultural workers in developing countries. The Fairtrade certification system ensures that producers comply with these standards to promote fairness and equality for all workers and to guarantee workers’ rights, safe working conditions and payment of a living wage.
Fairtrade is dedicated to providing woman and girls with more opportunities and skills to empower them in all aspects of life so that they can to thrive. One in five Fairtrade farmers are women, and nearly 50% of those working for other producers. With this reach, Fairtrade can be a really powerful tool in tackling gender discrimination.
For many years, the Fairtrade Foundation has implemented their own gender policy; as provided for in Principle 6, there is a commitment to gender equality and non-discrimination throughout the entire supply chain, making sure women and girls can participate equally and have access to all the Fairtrade benefits.
By incorporating the Fairtrade Premium as part of the conditions of achieving their accreditation, Fairtrade has provided an effective vehicle to support women. The premium is extra money paid on top of the selling price that farmers and workers can invest in development programmes of their choice to build for the future in their communities. The funds help to support welfare and development programmes such as education for woman in the latest technology and finance to enable girls to go to schools. In recent times, a greater priority is being given to woman to enable them to express their experiences and give them a platform to voice their desires and dreams. Putting woman at the centre of the conversation, Fairtrade emphasises the need to empower woman at all levels of their lives.
As a result, women in Fairtrade are challenging gender-based patterns and fighting for their right to ownership. For example, in 2014, 470 women overcame historic landownership constraints and became the first Indonesian all-woman coffee cooperative. For the first time this gave them independence and power over trading operations and income, rightfully, allowing them the opportunity to decide their future.
Crucially, these steps have given women the self-confidence, knowledge, and skills to stand up for themselves. They have set standards that can help influence other women around the world and influence future generations to take action.
While we are still a long way off, Fairtrade is allowing woman to be seen and heard and providing them with security and protection within work that will continue to make positive future changes.
To help make those changes purchase fairtrade products and support a positive change towards equality and sustainability. We must work together to continue this change.
Screenshot from Committed (1987), directed by Sheila McLaughlin and Lynne Tillman, First Run Features.
Acclaimed novelist and cultural critic Lynne Tillman and feminist director Sheila McLaughlin combined creative forces to direct this stylised biographical piece that depicts the involuntary commitment of famed actress Frances Farmer. Noted for her work across numerous films and theatre productions, Farmer also gained notoriety for her public image, which was centred around her leftist political views. McLaughlin and Tillman’s expert directing shines new light on the tale, providing particular contexts that help to portray Farmer’s thinking and powerful persona.
The film presents a strong protagonist/antagonist dynamic. Frances, portrayed excellently by McLaughlin, is painted as a beacon of charisma throughout the narrative struggles. The ‘men in suits’ approach to the dominant male ideology, highlights those in power as oppressive clones who constantly try to gaslight Farmer; and other women like her, into believing a diagnosis of mental illness purely for questioning the social norms. Their constant discussions of ‘freedom’ amidst their role as gatekeepers adds an undeniably humorous hint of irony, and the manner in which the narrative recounts Farmer’s life hammers home her position as a victim of society.
The film’s stylistic choices capture the bleak nature of its events. The lack of score forces its audience to listen to the discussions it portrays, highlighting the importance of the injustice that unravels on screen. The monochrome cinematography enforces the contrasts between light and darkness, emphasising the social conflict that acts as a backdrop to the unjust events inflicted upon Farmer. The runtime of 75 minutes makes McLaughlin and Tillman’s writing efforts all the more impressive, pulling no punches and portraying its message with intense efficiency.
Women’s History Month offers the opportunity to shine a spotlight on often overlooked contributions to culture. This March, UWE third-year BA Film Studies students are providing a series of weekly film reviews that showcase women’s lives globally. This week, Lydia Cooper reviews ‘Wadjda’, the first female-directed Saudi feature film.
Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) and her Mother (Reem Abdullah) in a shot from Wadjda. Dir. Haifaa al-Mansour, Soda Pictures, 2012.[Description: young girl sat in the middle seat of a car looking out the window. Behind her in the backseat is another woman also looking out the window.]
Haifaa al-Mansour’s 2012 film Wadjda is remarkable not just because of its quality as a film, but also because was made in the first place. Wadjda is the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first Saudi Arabian film from a female director. On top of all this, it’s a great coming of age story of a girl trying to be herself in an environment that is holding her back.
Wadjda stars Waad Mohammed as Wadjda, a young girl living in Riyadh with her mother, who, after making friends with a boy in her neighbourhood, decides to save up to buy a green bike so she can race him.
Wadjda is discouraged from getting the bike and is continuously told that girls should not ride bikes. Wadjda’s fixation on buying the bike provides an isolated incident to show the issues of women’s freedom in Saudi Arabia; although a bike is quite a simple thing for a child to want, for Wadjda this represents the prospects of hope and freedom in the conservative, patriarchal society she lives in.
Wadjda is a really lovely film with a lot of heart and Waad Mohammed is a large part of this. Despite being a first-time actress, she sparkles on screen, and manages to give a natural performance that is equally funny and emotional. The structure of the film is quite conventional but al-Mansour’s use of location filming and handheld camera creates a sense of realism and makes us feel closer to the women the film centres around.
Wadjda may not be the most innovative film in the world but it is a thoroughly enjoyable and hopeful story about a very complex subject, with a charming performance at the centre.
Further viewing on Kanopy:
Feminism Inshallah(2014) – Dir. Feriel Ben Mahmoud Ten(2002) – Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Women’s History Month is taking place throughout March with multiple events happening at UWE. As part of the celebrations, third-year BA Film Studies students are providing a series of weekly film reviews. The first in the series is Mavis! which documents the life of civil rights icon and blues singer, Mavis Staples, reviewed by Aoife Ranyell.
Shot from Mavis! Dir. Jessica Edwards. Dogwoof, 2015. [Description: A woman is standing on a stage looking at the crowd singing into a microphone. She has both arms in the air and is smiling.]
There is no better way to begin Women’s History Month than by showcasing a true power icon and legend of women’s music history. Directed by Jessica Edwards, Mavis! is a feel-good documentary focussing on the life and talent of the woman in question: rhythm, blues and gospel singer, lead vocalist in her family band The Staple Singers, inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and verbal civil rights activist, Mavis Staples.
Taking a chronological, first-person approach to retelling Mavis’s life and story, the 80-minute runtime tightly packs in decades’ worth of music and history: from her roots in church gospel singing, through her connection with Dr Martin Luther King, to where we can find her now. She is still performing and making her incredible soulful music, and at the point of release, Mavis had been touring for 60 years – she’s not your ordinary 82-year-old. Mavis’s warming, animated personality radiates through the screen and it’s very difficult not to be completely enamoured with her. Edwards intersperses charismatic interviews with footage from Mavis’s bellowing live performances (that will undoubtedly give you goosebumps), backstage recording sessions, and snippets of her private life – including a fleeting romance with a young Bob Dylan, and her electric friendship with the one-and-only Prince.
This confident documentary truly highlights the innate joy, passion and hope that Mavis generates in everyone she meets, and it’s no surprise that by the end of the film you are left feeling her good nature and powerful energy within you. As she says herself:
“I’m just doing what I’ve always done. Just trying to bring love and music to the people.”
