Tag: Writing

Personal Essays, Writers

ITOL Anniversary: Why I Write About Film

Films, we have been reliably and repeatedly told, give us all a uniting cultural context in which we can share our feelings and experiences. This is basic Film Class 101 and it’s not wrong, even if it has become cliché. Recently, the Pacific Northwest has experienced an eerie foreshadowing of what a nuclear winter would be like due to smoke from wildfires. If I told you I fully expected to see Viggo Mortenson trudging down my street pushing a shopping cart I’m sure you would know exactly what the sky over my head looked like for about a week. That’s the power of film. That mental image that I can share through a cinematic reference gives context to what I experienced and enables me to explain it quite vividly to others. Continue reading ITOL Anniversary: Why I Write About Film

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Activism, Female Writer, Film Industry, Personal Essays, Women in Film

ITOL Editorial: We Need To Do Better

When I first heard of the discrepancies between the amount of male film critics versus female film critics, I knew that I really wanted to do something to make a difference. I wasn’t sure what, but I knew I had to try and help amplify the voices of female, trans gendered and non-binary film critics. The beauty of film is that it’s truly unlike any other form of art, it’s something that can be easily accessible to so many of us unlike theatre for example. A good or even a bad film can connect with us and inspire discussion. Everybody, from all walks of life, watches and enjoys film in some form or another. So, why should only an elite few get to participate in the discussion? Continue reading ITOL Editorial: We Need To Do Better

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Film Industry, History, Spotlight, Women in Film, Writers

Women’s History Month: Frances Marion

In this day and age female screenwriters still face barriers within the film industry. In fact, a study conducted in 2017 found that women represented just 11 per cent of the writers on the United States’ top 250 films. They fared a little better in the world of Television, where they made up 33 per cent of television writers during the States’ 2016-17 season. One has to wonder what the great screenwriter Frances Marion would have to say about these figures.

There’s a high chance that you haven’t heard of Marion, but her screenwriting attributes have had a long-lasting impact on cinema and helped shaped the language of storytelling on the big screen. She wrote the stories and scenarios for over three hundred films in a career that spans from early days of cinema and into the sound era. Her work earned her two Academy Awards for screenwriting. Continue reading Women’s History Month: Frances Marion

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Acting, Female Characters, Personal Essays

When a Woman does a Man’s Job: An In-depth look at the films “Spy” and “The Hustle”

It’s always a refreshing experience to see films with female protagonists; films which tell a woman’s story–the kind of story that is unique to the female lived experience. These female-focused stories are just as valid as the ones that men have, and we see male stories embodied in films constantly. Being a man is not the default state of what it means to be human. Continue reading When a Woman does a Man’s Job: An In-depth look at the films “Spy” and “The Hustle”

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