Women Film Directors

WOMEN FILM DIRECTORS

MA Seminar

Prof. Linda Dittmar

Tel Aviv University Sundays 16-20, at Mexico 117a

Film & Television Department Wednesdays 10-14 at Kikoin 002

Course description:

This course explores cinematic discourses of gender from the perspectives of women directors, many of them feminist, as articulated over some one hundred years of women’s filmmaking and profound social upheavals. In so doing, it leans heavily on film theory, notably by women, as it addresses ways women directors have been bringing cinema’s discursive practices to bear on women’s filmmaking and viewing. At issue are not just considerations of character, plot, and theme, but the effects of cinematic “languages” and conditions of productions and reception as diverse scholars understand and theorize them. Rather than universalize notions of the “female” or the “feminine,” we will situate each film in its own time and place of production, considered through our readings. At issue are female directors’ responses to women’s normative gendered position within patriarchy, including the effects of race and ethnicity, social class, sexual identity, religion, and national formation. At issue also are the ways the cinematic medium itself—film but also video—has been brought to bear on these issues.

Professor Dittmar:

Hebrew reading and student consultations by Dr. Shmulik Duvdevani:

Teaching Assistant: Ariel Avissar:

Procedures and Requirements:

The daily assignments below specify starred and recommended films and starred and recommended readings. Recommended materials are an added resource.

1. Films: short films, starred and otherwise, may be screened in class, as will be excerpts of selected longer films.

2. Readings: Note: the assigned essays are demanding. These include difficult theoretical writing that requires careful reading and re-reading even by native speakers. This will require attentive, in-depth preparation, to be reflected also in the daily assignments specified below. Please bring the texts with you to class so that we can reference specific passages.

3. Student daily assignments:

a. Study questions: Twice a week, ahead of each class, each of you will email me one or two questions about one of the starred readings assigned for the upcoming day. These questions should be about the substance of the reading—an idea you need clarified, a position that bothers you, etc. Quoting from the written text or providing page number(s) will be helpful. Please do so no later than eight PM the night before class, sooner if possible.

b. Presentations: Each of you will make one short (5 minutes) presentation a week, spoken in class or written. It can be just an elaboration on one of the questions you emailed me ahead of time. Feel free to select either a Sunday reading or a Wednesday one, except that it must be a starred (i.e. required) reading assigned for that same day. Please email me your topic or author’s name no later than 8PM the night before the presentation.

Reassurance: You do not have to be a “know it all” about the readings. Neither am I. Thoughtful questions can be at least as fruitful as opinions. Being clear about your questions—what you do not understand or a point that troubles you—can lead to new insights. Our task is to reflect on the material together; yours is to help us do so.

Grading: The study questions and presentations are required but will be graded only plus/minus (“minus” for missing or perfunctory work).

4. Attendance and individual conferences: As you know, attendance is required. You can also always reach me by email (above), including after I return to the U.S., and we can always arrange to meet on campus before or after class. I would like to meet with each of you, get to now your interests and questions, and be available to discuss any problems this course might raise for you.

Language: Though I know Hebrew, I will be teaching in English. However, we can TRY the following: You may email me the twice-a-week advance questions in Hebrew, assuming my computer can “read” them. We can also do the oral presentations (or writing) in Hebrew. When talking in Hebrew please speak SLOWLY.

We will need to feel our way through this. I may have to change the arrangement.

Final Papers: For specific instructions see the Arts Faculty website. I will continue to be available by email after I return to the US. You will be able to write in English or Hebrew

SCHEDULE

1. Sunday, November 9: INTRODUCTION:

Films: * Germaine Dulac, The Smiling Mme Beudet (1922/23)

* Maya Deren, Meshes of an Afternoon (1943) and other films

Recommended films:

Alice Guy, Matrimony Speed Limit and other shorts by Guy.

Marquise Lepage, The Lost Garden: The Life and Cinema of A. Guy-Blache (‘95)

Read: *Jennifer Beam --- Introduction to A Feminist Reader… J. Bean & D. Negra, Eds.

* Constance Penley. “A Certain Refusal of Difference,” in her book, The Future of An Illusion, pp.41-54.

Recommended reading:

a)Constance Penley. “The Avant-Garde and its Imaginary,” The Future…pp.3-28.

b) Sandy Flitterman. “ Germaine Dulac: First Feminist of the Avant-Garde.” In Flitterman’s To Desire Differently….pp.47-77.

2. Wednesday, Nov 12: AT THE MAINSTREAM’S MARGINS:

Films: * Dorothy Arzner, Dance Girl Dance (1940)

* Leni Riefenstahl, The Blue Light (1932)

Recommended films:

Dorothy Arzner, Christopher Strong (1933)

Leontine Sagan, Maedchen in Uniform (1931)

Read: * Mary Anne Doane, “Film and the Masquerade… in Femmes Fatales, pp.17-32.

* Kaja Silverman, “Body Talk,” in The Acoustic Mirror, pp. 42-71.

Recommended reading:

Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,” assorted sources.

3. Sunday, November 16: REBELLION:

Films: * Lizzie Borden, Born in Flames (1983)

* Sally Potter, Thriller (1979)

Recommended Films:

Susan Pitt, Asparagus (1978) online: http://video.meta.ua/4017850.video

Sally Potter’s Orlando (1992), and Yes (2004)

Shirley Clarke, The Cool world (1963) and Portrait of Jason (1961)

Read: * Teresa deLauretis,“Rethinking Women’s Cinema,”Techno.s of Gender, 127-148

* Mary Anne Doane, “Woman’s Stake…” [Penley’s Feminism…Theory] 216-228

Recommended reading:

Judith Mayne, “Revising the Primitive,” 184-222.

4. Wednesday, Nov. 19: EUROPE:

View: * Chantal Akerman, Jeanne Dielman (1975)

* Agnes Varda, Vagabond (1984)

* Marleen Gorris, A Question of Silence (1982)

Recommended: Agnes Varda, Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Chantal Akerman, Je tu il elle (1974) and News from Home (1976)

Margarethe Von Trotta, Marianne and Juliane (1981)

Read: * Julia Kristeva, “Approaching Abjection,” pp.1-31

* Elizabeth Grosz, “Sexual Difference and the Problem of Essentialism,” 45-57.

* Helene Cixous, “Extreme Fidelity,” pp. 129-137

“Coming to Writing” pp. 1-17 and 34-36.

Recommended reading:

Patricia Mellencamp, “Empirical Avant-Garde” and “Tracy Moffat” pp.256-277