The films in this curation look into the theme of deconstructing narratives that have held women back, including works that look into the making of new narratives, a point of convergence for filmmakers, queers, trans life, and land back narratives.
The Body as a ‘Vessel’ (2021) is a documentary interviewing filmmaker Courtney Stephens (Terra Femme, The American Sector) about Mixed Signals (2019), an experimental short that looks into, corresponding with the title, her own response of experiencing categorizations in the medical field, among interviews with other creatives working to deconstruct old narratives and heal through their art, either through forms of experimental dance, or by building community through doing accountability and healing work. Chloé Pilon Vaillancourt, also known as rapper Marie-Gold, images deconstruction and disassembly more literally in her behind-the-scenes process of creating her album entitled “Bienvenue à Baveuse City” in The Dismantling of Baveuse City, with a stark use of imagery.
Snow’s When The River Split Open is more metaphorical in its approach, using the land as a character to portray nature and its thereafter destruction by mankind (in particular the protagonist’s father). Jha’s documentary depicts life in the rural areas of the Nepali Himalayas, interviewing people from its local communities. While attempting to capture their transformation, the film provides insight into the quiet strength of the residing women in the communities. Finally, my adaptation of Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me The Waltz speaks to the power of inclusion: trans women are women too! In fact, their struggles speak even more to the theme of incorporating science into mainstream culture and dominant ideologies, making people aware of issues with using the gender binary in mass media, and bringing them to the attention of the gender hegemony.
About the author
Shreya Kulshreshtha is a Performance Studies scholar (master's graduate from NYU); she holds a BA in Culture & Media from The New School. Visit her Habitat profile.
