In the classroom, Dr. Kari Lerum is a professor. In her community, she is a feminist activist. At home, she is a movie buff.
Lerum created a course in 2017 that incorporates those formative identities. The result, Girls on Film, is a class that introduces students to feminist theory and film.
鈥淚 started dreaming about teaching a class like this years ago,鈥 said Lerum, associate professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the 糖心vlog视频. 鈥淚 get to watch one of my favorite movies every week and then talk about it for two hours in class. I just love it.鈥
The class screens films that explore the cultural and institutional implications of coming-of-age narratives. To be viewed in class, the films must be directed by a woman, have a female lead and pass the Bechdel test 鈥 a measure of the representation of women in fiction.
鈥淔ilms reflect and create central, cultural assumptions about gender across the life course,鈥 Lerum said. 鈥淭he class is about the study of film 鈥 images, ideals, narratives and thematic emphasis create an opportunity to understand shifting cultural norms about gender.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I want my students to recognize.鈥
Wide range of topics
Jaresiah Williams, a third-year student majoring in Media & Communication Studies and in Culture, Literature & the Arts, said she signed up for the class to learn more about feminist theory.
鈥淚 am a huge film fan and wanted to learn how to apply critical thinking to the films I watch. Most of us consume media every day, myself included, so I think it鈥檚 important to have a framework to understand the messages we ingest,鈥 she said.
Over the years, Lerum has built up a collection of 75 films that fit the criteria for the class. Students watch films ranging from documentaries to horror movies and dramas to romantic comedies. They also see the work of directors from a variety of countries, including South Africa, New Zealand and France, to name just a few.
Of those films, Lerum chooses eight to screen each quarter, depending on how relevant they are. Students in the 2021 class, which was held remotely, watched 鈥淛ust Another Girl on the IRT,鈥 鈥淏ut I am a cheerleader,鈥 鈥淐arrie鈥 and more.
Fourth-year student Jacky Guzman said 鈥淐arrie鈥 was her favorite film. 鈥淚 love watching scary movies,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his one did not disappoint!鈥
Diverse perspectives
Guzman, who is majoring in American Ethnic Studies and in Society, Ethics & Human Behavior, said her greatest takeaway was seeing how different power structures are applied through the film and entertainment industry.
鈥淭he films we watched in class built on my pre-existing knowledge of gender and power by providing a visual application of the concepts I have read about in my textbooks,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t made all of the facts and figures come to life.鈥
By watching the films, Lerum hopes the students gain an appreciation for how complex storytelling can be. 鈥淚t is a great way for students to increase critical-thinking skills and reflect on the kinds of stories that shape our normative framework,鈥 she said.
鈥淎s a cultural studies and feminist scholar,鈥 said Lerum, 鈥淚 am really invested in storytelling from diverse perspectives 鈥 especially from women and women of color.鈥
Backstage passes
This year, the class had a new partnership with , a yearly showcase of films directed by women. The partnership allowed students to watch two feature presentations and one set of student shorts at no expense.
鈥淭hese were films you can鈥檛 find on Netflix or DVDs,鈥 Lerum said. 鈥淚t was a really special opportunity.鈥
What鈥檚 more, the students were able to participate in a panel and discuss with the filmmakers issues such as the current state of independent filmmaking in the United States and the importance of telling diverse stories.
After the festival, the students wrote reflections on their experience, and the three most compelling were featured on the film festival鈥檚 blog. 鈥淭his provided an amazing platform for students to showcase their writing and build up their resume,鈥 Lerum said.
Pitch and publish
For the course final, Lerum asked students to analyze a newly released film or TV series that would then be submitted for possible publication to Ms., an iconic feminist magazine started by Gloria Steinem in the 1970s.
For Summer Ditona, a recent graduate from Media & Communication Studies with a minor in Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies, getting published would validate her skills as a writer. 鈥淚 have always enjoyed writing and consider myself to be good at it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 have been excited for this opportunity since I heard about it the first week of class.鈥
Ditona decided to write about 鈥淭he Mauritanian,鈥 a film that follows three people who uncover an extensive conspiracy while investigating the case of a suspected 9/11 terrorist imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay.
鈥淚 have a strong interest in the 9/11 attacks and the atrocities that have taken place at Guantanamo Bay,鈥 Ditona said. 鈥淎s someone who remembers the attacks and the aftermath very well, I feel it鈥檚 my responsibility to help spread truth for our nation to find healing. Getting published would be a great start in achieving that goal.鈥
Guzman on the other hand, said the opportunity created the interest. 鈥淚 had never really thought about publishing my work before,鈥 she said, 鈥渂ut it has made me excited to see where my writing can take me.鈥
Kick back and relax
While the course covered a lot of material, the most important thing Guzman learned was that watching a film even from home can be a form of activism.
鈥淭he film industry is very male-dominated, so purchasing and watching films made by female directors is an act of resistance,鈥 she said. 鈥淏eing a fan of films made by women helps them grow in the industry.
鈥淪o, sit back, eat and watch female-directed films.鈥
