FILM AND MOVIES
JOEY O'BRIEN
According to the New York Women in Film and Television organization, women make up only 20% of all cinematographers, writers, producers, executive producers, directors, and editors in the top 100 grossing films in 2019 that were made in the US. This statistic is extremely low but was still a major increase from 16% in 2018.
ANNA MAY WONG
Born on January 3rd in 1905
As a child, she would constantly hang around movie sets begging the crew to let her play a role
Film crews began referring to her as the “curious Chinese child”
Considered to be the first Chinese American Hollywood movie star
She worked in silent film, sound film, television, stage, and radio
Challenges with Racism
Despite the recognition she had, she was kept as a supporting actress
Throughout her career, she wanted to play roles of modern American women but was constantly denied
“I was so tired of the parts I had to play. Why is it that the screen Chinese is always the villain? And so crude a villain--murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass."
Progress for Asian American Women
Crazy Rich Asians
Staring female Asian American actress whose family is from Taiwan
Predominantly Asian cast
CHANTEL AKERMAN
Born in Brussels in 1950 to two Holocaust survivors from Poland
Referred to as a “pioneer in feminist and experimental filmmaking” in the New York Times by Rachel Donadio and Cara Buckley
Her Work
“Saute Ma Ville”
Her first film that translates into English as “Blow Up My City”
The film shows a woman, herself, dancing around a kitchen with a voiceover of singing
Then, the woman leans her head over the gaslight burners and the screen goes black
Ackerman tells this story of a housewife committing suicide as a way of fighting against gender norms in society
“Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” (1975)
The film follows a widowed housewife who does daily stereotypical housewife chores and then is paid for sex with a man
MILICENT PATRICK
Created the design for the Creature in the Creature from the Black Lagoon movie
Her credit was stolen from her by Bud Westmore, leading to years of people giving him credit
He did this by firing her and stealing her designs
He refused to ever hire her for any other upcoming projects and removed her from her other current projects
She was never again given the opportunity to design another monster
DOROTHY ARZNER
The first woman to join the Directors Guild of America
Throughout her career, she was the only female director in Hollywood
Made a total of twenty films between 1927 and 1943
She is also credited with inventing the boom microphone