FILM AND THE LAW No16
Film,Women & the Law

Film has always been in the hands of men, from producers (money) right through to the “creatives” – the screenwriters, directors and of course the artists ( the actors).
Cinema basically tells the story of men through the eyes of men.

There have of course been exceptions to this rule. Dorothy Arzner (Dance Girl Dance 1940) & Ida Lupino (The Hitch Hiker1953) were directing Hollywood films long before Kathryn Bigelow was let loose on The Hurt Locker(2008).and Leontine Sagan is famous for directing an all female cast in Madschen in Uniform(1931) – still sadly considered something of an oddity. “Wot? No men?” Whilst here in the UK we have a clutch of highly talented female directors, such as Andrea Arnold, Lynne Ramsey, Joanna Hogg etc, knocking out really engaging films, as quickly as they can say, “thanks mum” as they pick up their awards.

Amongst the war, western, and gangster films there was always a smattering of “womens” films. These usually involved an upper or middle class woman transgressing the rules (Anna Kerenina 1935, Letter from an Unknown Woman, 1948) resulting in a tragic ending. Even when it was just a perceived transgression (Effi Briest 1972, The House of Mirth 2007), it still ended tragically – for the woman that is.
One exception to this is Diary of a Lost Girl 1929 where the heroine, played by the quirky Louise Brooks strikes back in victory not with a vengeance but with an act of a surprising charity to her erstwhile nemesis.

By the 1950’s transgressing the rules such as a middle-class widow having a relationship with a much younger gardener, has a penalty not of death but merely being snubbed at the country club. whilst in more recent times “fallen” women from an Irish working-class background suffered being placed in the not so tender loving care of the Catholic church (Magdalene Sisters, 2002).

But what about the real stories of real women?

If this country’s film culture is famous around the world for one thing it is The Documentary Movement. (1935-1950). In fact it is right to say that the term documentary was coined by the movement’s driving force John Grierson.
The man who epitomised documentary was of course Humphrey Jennings whose film Listen to Britain 1942, an extraordinary juxtaposition of images and sound that still transfix’s audiences today. Whilst Documentary isn’t the crowd-puller it once was, mercifully there are still film makers who are drawn to this unique pedagogic way of giving us the audience a window on the world.

KIM LONGINOTTO a graduate of the national Film School, has spent her working life documenting the oppression of women throughout the world, and FILM NITE gives you an opportunity to hear KIM speak about her extraordinary cinematic output, when she comes along to SOHOHOUSE next term, and you will have an opportunity to see extracts from some of her following award -winning films:-

Shinduku Boys (1995) explores the lives of three transgender women to men (FTM) who work at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo Japan.
The film introduces three ONNABEES who work as hosts at the NEW MARILYN CLUB. ONNABEES are women who live as men and have girlfriends although they don’t usually identify as lesbians. All free talk freely about their gender bending lives revealing their view about women, sex tranvestitism and lesbianism. Alternating with these illuminating interviews are fabulous sequences shot inside the club patronised almost exclusively by heterosexual women who have become disappointed with real men. They often have relationships with them but the underlying fear is whether such a relationship can with stand the pressure on a woman to get married and have children. In 1995, the film won awards al lover the world including The San Franscisco Gay & Lesbian festival, and the Chicago & Houston festivals.


Sisters in law(2005)
The film centres around four cases in Cameroon involving violence by men against their spouses. It shows women seeking justice and effecting change on Universal human interest issues. It also shows strong and positive images of women and children in Cameroon. Screened at over 120 festivals around the world and awarded many prizes.

Divorce Iranian Style( 1998)
Several weeks shooting in an Iranian Divorce court provides a unique window into the intimate circumstances of Iranian women’s lives. Following Jamileh, whose husband beats her; Jibah a 16yr old trying to divorce her 38 yr old husband; and Maryam who is desperately  trying to gain custody of her daughters.