Night School
Feminist Filmmaking
In this lecture we will explore the ways in which society makes and consumes video, film and media through a critical feminist lens. Who has been privileged to be the spectator, who has been subjected to the viewed and how does that impact how the viewer sees the world around them?
In this lecture, Rebecca Watson will mainly focus on Laura Mulvey's (feminist film theorist) theory of the “Male Gaze” which describes the ways in which the female body is often represented as the passive object for the active view and consumption. We will discuss how the "Male Gaze" has been the default setting through which most modern media has been experienced and consumed by all viewers through analyzing a range of historic films as well as the responses from female film makers to this theory. We will also discuss the impact and legacies of the "Male Gaze" still felt today and how we can consciously apply this theory to the content we create.
Rebecca Watson
Rebecca Watson is an artist and art history student using a feminist and queer perspective to explore the intersection of themes such as sexuality, surveillance, religion, and digital realities. Watson's work — both written and in within her arts practice — aims to challenge oppressive, patriarchal systems through education and awareness. Rebecca is currently a Masters of Art History candidate at Carleton University and is a graduate from Nipissing University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts.
About Night School
Night School is SAW Video's free, monthly lecture series designed to provide the basic fundamentals of video, film and media art history, theories and current topics of significance. Night School was initiated as a resistance reaction to the OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) funding cuts in 2018. Night School provides an introduction to an art history theme or topic, within a university/college framework and by a university/college professor but without the financial barriers to participate. Many forms and technological approaches are to be found in the media art landscape and Night School wants to demystify them all. Each Night School lecture will include screenings of select work and or listening exercises depending on the lecture topic at hand.
Everyone is welcome to attend Night School! We encourage SAW Video members, artists, creators, arts/cultural workers, folks looking to experiment in a new discipline, admirers and or advocates for video and media arts. Attendance at every lecture is not necessary but recommended for a well rounded education.
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