A recent dip in female-led theatrical releases in the UK - back to 2018 levels of 26% reminds us that our work is far from over; that we cannot be complacent.
Below you can read about the research we conduct into gender representation in film and the wider industry, tracking the release landscape to present an accurate picture of investment in films by filmmakers of marginalised genders.
Here you can also find out about news and opportunities at Reclaim The Frame, along with curated film recommendations, filmmaker interviews, and creative responses.
DAY 5
PINK EXCAVATION (2018)
Dir. Natasha Lall
45.47mins
Available on YouTube
[CC available]
An Glasgow archaeologist from the year 2518 investigates queer culture of the early 21st century.
I first saw Pink Excavation at SQIFF 2018 and have not stopped thinking about it since. In many ways it seems to relate to The Watermelon Woman, both in the way it examines archives and queer history, and in how it also preserves a section of contemporary queer culture through filmmaking. However, where The Watermelon Woman seeks to create queer history where it was hidden, Pink Excavation rejects this need to find ourselves in the past. Self-described ‘shy-fi’, Natasha Lall’s use of low-fi, DIY aesthetics is a reminder that queer art is not often privy to the massive budgets or equipment that mainstream filmmaking affords, but, in my opinion, is all the better for thriving in the margins.
THE WATERMELON WOMAN (1996)
Dir. Cheryl Dunye
85mins
Available at BFI player (subscription) or on Amazon Prime
[CC available]
Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye researches the life of a 20th century film actress she shares an affinity with.
While Queerama uses archival film to show how queerness has existed in both text and subtext, The Watermelon Woman negotiates the whole idea of the archive, questioning who is missing. Cheryl Duyne carves out a unique space of romcom/quasi-documentary as she searches for recognition within film history. By clearly situating The Watermelon Woman in a time and place, it creates its own archive, not only of black lesbians in film history, but is a record of Duyne specific experience of being a Black lesbian. The Watermelon Woman is a reminder that queer spaces are meaningful because of their potential as a site of recognition.
DAY 3
QUEERAMA (2017)
Dir. Daisy Asquith
1 hour 10 minutes
Available on director’s website
An archival film collection charting expressions of queerness in the BFI’s film archives.
Queerama is an archival montage film that charts queer life within the BFI’s archives. Blurring a variety of documentary interviews with lgbtq+ people, clips from comedies, dramas, and music videos, Queerama unearths queer subtext, bringing what was once hidden to the surface. Queerama is a reminder that queer people have always existed, and that film is a powerful and emotional avenue to tell our stories. Queer desire has often been marginalised in cinema, limited to hidden corners or subtle gestures, but Queerama actively creates a space for queer lives to be created and shared.
