Performing gender behind the camera: women directors in commercial cinema

Abstract

It is a well-known fact that, as in many other artistic areas, in the film industry women have been traditionally assigned what we can arguably call less prominent roles. Directing and producing films are still male-dominated areas, especially, in mainstream cinema. This article aims to assess the way feminist filmmakers have dealt with the issue of film and women, especially, after the 1970s. We propose to look, more specifically, at the way women have performed as directors in mainstream cinema and whether and how gender may influence filmmaking. The article will use the study cases of contemporary film directors Jane Campion and Gurinder Chadha to illustrate some issues raised.