Through Her Lens, Women in Film and Photography

This course will survey how the media of photography and film have represented women over the past fifty years. We'll explore how these images have shaped ideas of femininity in our culture. Specifically, we'll examine how mainstream representations of women have sculpted ideas that tend to fulfill the male gaze. After analyzing projects that have adopted this perspective, we'll look at the work of contemporary female photographers and filmmakers. We'll discuss how women artists can resist traditional and male centered representations of femininity as both viewers and producers. Join us to gain a deeper understanding of visual culture and the powerful role of women in the evolving world of modern image making and cinematic storytelling.