Noteworthy Francophone Women Directors: A Sequel by Janis L. Pallister, Ruth A. Hottell
2013; American Association of Teachers of French; Volume: 87; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/tfr.2013.0026
ISSN2329-7131
Autores Tópico(s)African history and culture studies
ResumoPALLISTER, JANIS L., and Ruth A. Hottell. Noteworthy Francophone Women Directors: A Sequel. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson UP, 2011. ISBN 978-161147 -443-5. Pp. xiii + 222. $65. The stimulating perspectives of women directors are gaining attention and significance in Francophone film because of the diversity of voices, views, and political challenges which they contain. In many instances, bias, be it gender- or genre-based, leads to discounting or marginalizing such works. This book informs us that little more than 10% of women directors receive funding or recognition for their projects. The authors have compiled a listing that progresses by last name of director in alphabetical order, regardless of the country represented on film. The films are grouped by category in three chapters: feature films, documentaries, and shorts. The fourth and last chapter on sources contains sites and resources for finding profiles and interviews. It is important to note that French-speaking women directors are listed, while the films posted may be in French or in some other language. The language of the film’s original version is stated if it is not in French. This book is intended as a “useful tool, a point of departure, a quick source of information”(xiii) for academics and scholars. The chapter on feature films includes the following for each film: the title, year of release, length, country of origin, language/s, cast, festival showings, awards, as well as a synopsis. Distributors of feature films are often noted, with addresses and websites. Documentary listings follow in similar format. An intriguing entry, Téhéran sans permission (2009), was captured via mobile phone in order to bypass censure. Made in Iran but aired in France on Télérama, it offers surprising looks at the Iranian capital. Shorts are excellent stimulants for classroom activities. Included in the directory of shorts is Kounandi (2004), a short of fifty minutes made in Burkina Faso by Appoline Traoré, who created twenty episodes for a TV series about African women. Kounandi is an adult fairy tale that presents love, sacrifice, social conflict and prejudice in Burkina Faso. The chapter on sources is divided into “General sources”—lists of production agencies from around the globe—followed by specific sections offering similar information for African,Arabic,and Québécois cinema,and for shorts,videos,and films.This chapter also provides addresses, telephone numbers, website, and occasional contact names with respective cell phone numbers, as well as a final section on Internet sites of importance. The bibliography that follows is organized around headings such as “General,”“Africa,”“Canada,”and“By Subject”and includes a section titled“Selective Bibliography on African Cinema in General.” A final section notes selected world festivals of film from Europe, North America, Central and South America, and Australia , giving comprehensive scope to the directory. With special acknowledgment to Agnès Varda for gracious collaboration over the years, and whose self-portrait appears on the cover, this work provides a substantial compendium with selected criticism and a useful point of departure for research. Neumann University (PA) Maria G. Traub 210 FRENCH REVIEW 87.1 ...
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