Movie Workers: The Women Who Made British Cinema

Melanie Bell's book "Movie Workers" is a pioneering study that explores the economic and creative contributions of women in the British film industry from the advent of sound to the present day. It uses oral histories and trade union records to present a vivid counter-narrative to film history, focusing on the physical and emotional labor required to make a motion picture. Bell's feminist analysis examines women's jobs in film at important historical junctures and situates them in the context of changing expectations around women and gender roles.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2021
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

After the advent of sound, women in the British film industry formed an indispensable corps of below-the-line workers, laboring in positions ranging from animation artist to negative cutter to costume designer. Melanie Bell meticulously charts the work of these women across decades, examining their profound economic and creative contributions against the backdrop of the discrimination that hindered their careers. Through her use of oral histories and trade union records, Bell presents a vivid counter-narrative to film history, one that not only focuses on women in a male-dominated business but also on the myriad physical and emotional labor required to bring a motion picture to life. Bell's feminist analysis delves into women's roles in film at pivotal historical junctures while contextualizing their work within evolving expectations about women and gender roles.

Illuminating and insightful, Movie Workers is a groundbreaking exploration of the unseen women whose tireless efforts propelled British filmmaking to the forefront. It sheds light on the often overlooked contributions of these women, whose invisible work played a crucial role in shaping the industry. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in cinema history, gender studies, and the power of collective action.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252043871