When I read Laura Mulvey's theories on the male gaze, a question began to burn in my mind: how would one create a film that worked against the male gaze? As I continued to ponder this question, I researched filmmakers who came in the wake of Mulvey and are said to have provided an alternative to the male gaze, such as Sadie Benning. I also began to observe other film and media more closely, especially music videos, and scrutinize their interaction with the male gaze. So for this project, I sought to experiment with subverting and exposing the gaze. I chose different images, some that I shot, and some from popular music videos, that represented or related to the objectification of women in different manners. Then I proceeded to use those images in an effort to both expose and subvert the male gaze. In altering the natural sound, context, appearance and chronology of the images, I hoped to re-write the meaning into a piece that is ultimately empowering because it reveals the gaze, rather than enabling it.
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