This year, Mudbound DP Rachel Morrison made history as the first woman nominated for the Best Cinematography Oscar, a triumph that also underscored the troubling issue of gender inequality in the film industry. Few jobs on a movie set have been as historically closed to women as that of cinematographer—the persistence of the term “cameraman” says it all. Despite this lack of representation, trailblazing women have left their mark on the field through extraordinary artistry and profound vision. As seen through their eyes, films by directors like Claire Denis, Jacques Rivette, Chantal Akerman, Ryan Coogler, and Lucrecia Martel are immeasurably richer, deeper, and more wondrous. Featuring in-person appearances, this international two-week series spotlights the amazing work of such accomplished female cinematographers as Agnès Godard, Natasha Braier, Kirsten Johnson, Joan Churchill, Maryse Alberti, Ellen Kuras, and Babette Mangolte, while also posing the question: is there such a thing as the “Female Gaze” at all?

Organized by Florence Almozini, Tyler Wilson, and Madeline Whittle.

Acknowledgments:
Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique; UCLA Film & Television Archive; Mathieu Fournet and Amelie Garin-Davet, Cultural Services of the French Embassy; Institut Français; Stella Artois; NYLO; Agnès Godard, Natasha Braier, Joan Churchill, Ashley Connor, Meredith Emmanuel, Ellen Kuras, Hélène Louvart, Babette Mangolte, Rachel Morrison, and Kirsten Johnson.

Download The Female Gaze brochure or read below.

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