Kirikiriroa Conversations: Contemporary Feminist Cinema and Reconstructing the Female Gaze

Thursday 15 Aug 2024
3:30pm - 4:00pm
K.G.01
Dr Kyle Barrett
kyle.barrett@waikato.ac.nz

Media and Creative Technologies are proud to present another series of Kirikiriroa Conversations. The aim of these public kōrero are to explore topics of interest from academic staff and graduate students across the University that may be works-in-progress, recently published papers, or general areas of interest.

Each kōrero is 15 mins long with 5 mins of questions. These start at 3:30PM in K.G.01. Afterward, come along to MCT's legendary Thirsty Thursdays (BYO) in our foyer (I.4.20) to continue the kōrero.

Fifth Conversation - 15th August 2024 (3:30PM): Contemporary Feminist Cinema and Reconstructing the Female Gaze

Presenter: Katherine Searle, Masters Candidate, Media and Creative Technologies

Abstract: Within my research, I will attempt to explore various eras within the history of cinema to analyse the construction and representation of theories surrounding the ‘female gaze’. Specifically, I will apply comparative and textual analysis to explore various films by female directors and/or screenwriters whose works have been defined in scholarship to represent the ‘female gaze’. Through this, I will solely focus on the representation of varying female protagonists, comparing two films within similar eras to discuss the differing media landscapes that have explored nuanced female experiences and expressions.

I will discuss the defining scholars who coined the ‘female gaze’ and the terms’ defining tropes and characteristics within film. I will then discuss the case studies that I intend to explore and analyse, discussing their importance and influence on the reconstruction of the ‘female gaze’ within contemporary cinema.