From the Margins to the Mainstream: Women in Film and Television

The book explores the representation of women in film and television, focusing on overlooked gendered aspects, such as voice-overs and maternity tropes, and the complex motif of the vagina dentata. Contributors include renowned scholars and emerging film scholars from various contexts.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate challenges and complexities associated with the integration of women into the mainstream of film and television. Authored by Marianne Kac-Vergne and Julie Assouly, the book explores a wide range of issues, including the representation of women both off-screen as filmmakers and film critics and on-screen in various film and TV series.

In their analysis, the authors examine the diverse portrayals of women in films such as Jackie Brown (1997), Marie Antoinette (2006), Its a Free World... (2007), and Wonder Woman (2017). They specifically focus on the overlooked gendered aspects of voice-overs and the negative tropes used to represent maternity in television series, as well as the complex motif of the vagina dentata in contemporary film and television.

The chapters of the book analyze independent, art-house, Hollywood, and TV productions, often in transnational contexts. Through these analyses, the authors shed light on how definitions of femininity are culturally specific yet cross national, class, and racial lines. The contributors to the book include renowned scholars such as Yvonne Tasker, Celestino Deleyto, David Roche, and Nicole Cloarec, as well as emerging yet well-published film scholars.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in exploring the representation of women in film and television. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the issues and challenges faced by women in the industry, and offers insightful perspectives on the ways in which these representations have evolved over time.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350331655