Apparently the film industry is highly dominated by men, especially by white men. However, there are women directors/producers who create films. But real problem is, their movies are not seen by big audience - this circumstance makes it harder to influence or show their views to public. "…the biggest problem that women film - and video makers have right now: When they go through all the struggle to make films that really represent their vision, they are not received by general public." (Redding and A.Browmworth 263)
Although the gender equality has been emphasized and worked successfully with some works, women are still minority in the film industry. In masculine society, audience are unconsciously biased that women's films or films for women are not as valuable as men's. "the real problem is not how do we get more women working in Hollywood, but how do we get films that represent women's vision out." (Redding and A.Browmworth 264) In reality, there are not a lot of opportunities that women film makers represent their films and their vision out. Since their movies apparently considered minor films and biased, women film makers still seek for opportunities to reach mass audience. "A Main problem is, even today, is convincing men that films by and about women are important." (Redding and A.Browmworth 265)
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival is a documentary film festival biennially in Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. At the festival, movies with different themes or focus on social issues are shown to audience. I did not know the film festival until I looked up some feminist film makers. They collect radical documentaries from all over the world, including the documentaries about women. The festival is held for mainly three purposes;
- To illustrate the current state of documentary cinema, by collecting radical documentary works from around the world and focusing on this genre, which continues to follow its own distinctive direction even as cinema has become established as a common global culture.
- To impart the appeal of documentary, by allowing as many people as possible to see the world’s best documentary cinema in Japan, where opportunities for viewing are few and far between. To present new realms and possibilities for expression through cinema, which is generally recognized as mass entertainment.
- To explore new concepts in the field of documentary, which is building a niche for itself while converging with various media in our high-tech information society.
- To uncover new talent and expand spheres of interaction, by actively encouraging the works of young filmmakers.
Unfortunately I could not find a video or trailer of it, but I wanna introduce a documentary directed by Korean organization Feminist Video Activism WOM. The documentary is titled 'Out: Smashing Homophobia Project'; the story is about three love-torn lesbian high-school girls in Seoul, talking and singing to their own cameras, to have their say to themselves, their lovers, their families, and the world. This film was shown in Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 2007.
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| 'Out: Smashing Homophobia Project' |
<Work Cited>
Introduction "Making Movie Magic" from Reel to Real by bell hooks
"Debra Zimmerman and Women Make Movies" by Judith Redding and Victoria A. Brownworth
Yamagata Film Festival - http://www.yidff.jp/home-e.html
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