Watching Women's Films

Welcome to WATCHING WOMEN’S FILMS!

My name is Rebecca Knight and I am a PhD student in film studies at Newcastle University (UK).  I am currently working on a research project about the feminist dialogue that surrounds contemporary “women’s films” (from 2000 to today) - from Hollywood chick-flicks and rom-coms to independent, art-house cinema.  If the film is marketed to a female audience, is about female experience and/or has a female lead and you have something to say about it then this is the place for you!

A few years ago, Hollywood chick-flicks received considerable feminist backlash; yet, box office statistics revealed that more women were going to the movies.  While an ‘older generation’ of feminists (not necessarily older by age, but by feminist thought) were claiming that these films were bad for women, ‘younger generations’ of feminists claimed that such films highlighted female experience and provided a space for female viewing pleasure.  A gap between feminist thought has opened up and, while feminism is not one dogmatic view, I am interested in the dialogue between the feminist generations.

I want to collect views and opinions on recent “Women’s Films”, in its broadest sense.  This research will form the basis of my thesis and will contribute to the wider debate on the representation of women in cinema.

This is a blog for people who identify as feminist to discuss “Women’s Films” today.

Can you contribute to this research?  If so, please contact me – r.knight@ncl.ac.uk You can also leave comments after each post on the blog, or join the forum.

All views are significant and will be respected.