Let’s take a look at this group photo from Pensioners’ Association from Maribor. There are 41 people in it, 35 women and only 5 of them are having grey hair.

Pensioners’ Association, Maribor

Hiding grey hair by colouring or dyeing them is part of a beauty work for women or work of femininity that is work women do on their appearance, manner and personal identity to maintain femininity – i.e. the ideal of young, white, middle class, able-bodied, cis hetero femininity – throughout their lives. Dyeing hair is part of feminine technologies, associated with women by virtue of their biology (e.g. tampons, birth control, bras, and hair colour) and/or their social role (e.g. kitchen utensils, sewing needles, household cleaning products), alongside with skills, tools and knowledge about those technologies and how to use them that women acquire during their lifespan.

In Western, postmodern societies, where bodies are categorized through “normative or normalizing gaze” (this means measuring, comparing and consequently including/excluding people) this gaze – directed at women’s hair – includes hair standard that doesn’t welcome natural grey hair colour. Being a grey-haired woman translates into being perceived old – hence ugly – and by that, triggering feelings of repulsion or abjection.

Hair carries many culture-specific meanings about a person; their gender, race, ethnicity, social status, sexual orientation, political convictions, occupation, health and age. Grey hair in our consumer culture connotes aging, future body decay (illness, sickness, death), and all these future events evokes fear or phobic-fear (i.e. fear without the known object of fear), avoidance of the subject, aversion, uneasiness, something that is there, but is in the undefined future. Death, as Julia Kristeva has stated, is one of the categories of abjection, together with sexual difference and food loathing. All three of them serve for the preservation of life and constitute the proper social body to conform to the cultural expectations of the physical body. And the cultural expectation for women’s physical bodies is to remove all signs of ageing, including grey hair.

However, having grey hair is a gendered issue – men sport grey hair without being pressured or self-disciplined to hide it by colouring as women do. Women are still regarded as Body, enmeshed in bodily existence in a still current Cartesian body-mind dualism where body – the bearer of flesh, emotionality, sexuality and procreation – connotes life, instability, changeability, disorder, mortality and death. Women’s grey hair are therefore the most visible signifier of aging that causes fear of death or ageism, but according to Iris Marion Young, ageism exhibits border anxiety of the abject – we are confronting our own death and we fear our future selves, only time divides our current selves from our future, older ones. The abject is a border between self and other, and because of its closeness to the subject, cannot be defined as Other or object.

Women’s grey hair has this abject status – they are close to a person’s head, alive at the roots from where they constantly grow, technically dead at the ends and their colour signifies aging. This signifier of an old age can be avoided by colouring them which also serves as a reducer of death anxiety for them and people around them. Grey roots are the border between the artificial colour and grey hair, always threating to outgrow the artificial hair colour. This fear of showing grey roots creates an ongoing anxiety so they must be consciously kept under control.

Dye your hair until you die.

Of course, this association between grey hair and death is socially constructed; originating from the modern conception about death – prior the 19^th century, death was common among children and young adults, older folks were rarity and with longer life expectancies, and emerging new discourses – medicine as a main knowledge producer – link between and old age and disease/death was created.

Head, covered with strings of grey hair or grey hair full-on, is subjected to ageist microaggressions or body policing, much of it happening almost mundanely or what Anthony Giddens has described as a practical consciousness: informal (unnoticed, unreflective) speech (“you look old with grey hair”), aesthetic judgements, jokes (“is it snowing outside?”), bodily reactions (side-eyeing at people), tone of voice, etc. Practical consciousness involves complex reflecting monitoring of the subject’s body, other subjects and their surroundings while interacting with others, but on the fringe of consciousness.

Women in the first photo we saw were everyday women, their retired status and older age means that they are out of the work force (do not belong anymore to the work circles), perhaps without strong family ties (widows, with adult children), so colouring their hair could be interpreted as an insignia to belong to their pensioners social circle, to be part of the group where the in-group monitoring do occur.

How about women who occupy the highest positions in international politics and business, do they sport grey hair? They do have “status shield”, a term coined by Arlie Hochschild, where higher social status protects individuals from “displaced feelings of others” – anger, shame, mockery, verbal abuse, microaggressions, peer body policing etc.

Among 100 powerful women in 2016, according to and ranked by Forbes magazine, there are only 10 women who don grey hair:

From left to right: Janet Yellen (Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in U.S.), Christine Lagarde (Managing Director of IMF), Queen Elizabeth II, Ho Ching (CEO of Temasek Holdings – investment firm from Singapore) and Sheikh Hasina Wazed (Bangladesh prime minister)

From left to right: Drew Gilpin Faust (President of Harvard University), Irina Bokova (Director-general of UNESCO), Mary Meeker (venture capitalist, head of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’ for surging Internet companies), Beth Brooke-Marciniak (Global Vice Chair of Public Policy for Ernst & Young, multinational professional services) and Theresa May (British PM)

Having grey hair is obviously still not “respectable” enough for women in professional settings, because – according to Young – respectability is linked to the idea of order, where the standard remains white, bourgeois male who is rational, restrained, chaste, straight and dispassionate and by conforming to these norms sexuality, bodily functions, and emotional expressions are repressed. Cleanliness as a part of respectability agenda means avoiding anything that can be linked to bodily functions or changes, so sporting grey hair in professional environments is viewed as frumpy, sloppy or non-professional. Women are in danger to be losing respect not just due to their gender but also on behalf of their appearance because the ideal of respectability is still rooted in professional settings (government, multi corporations, high-level politics). However, despite the fact that those ten women out of the hundred do have grey hair, their hair colour can be dubbed as an “expensive grey”, i.e. colour and hairstyles one can acquire in top hair salons without looking washed out or half-styled. They are protected by their class privilege to look professional by donning (expensive) grey hair. But their lives are still pervaded with a specific type of self-disciplinary body regime, common for professional spaces.

It is called “power dressing”, a sartorial phenomenon for professional women that emerged in the late 1970s in capitalist societies when women started to occupy middle and top managerial positions in companies on behalf of second wave feminism in Central/West Europe and North America. This type of clothing practice represents the masculinisation of women’s dress – two-piece suit with skirt or pants in dark colours (black, grey, dark blue) with shorten hair or hair bun. This “uniform” was used to visually divide professional women from secretaries, a job that was most common for women in office spaces.

As we saw, most of them do perform power dressing – they de-feminize themselves, but others who do not belong to the Western culture, present themselves in more traditionally influenced outfits that could be marked as feminine rather than masculine. What is considered professional look is also culture-specific. Perhaps deliberate decolonising practices are here at stake.

Ho Ching and Sheikh Hasina Wazed

Let’s take a quick look at mass media (film in this case). Young has defined mass media as a site for unbridled fantasies, so how is it with the representation of grey-haired women. Are they even present in film? Not particularly, but when they are, they are portrayed in fantasy tales as witches (i.e. women with otherworldly power), for example, Into the Woods with Meryl Streep and Grimm’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel – this is the image every child is exposed to and has internalized it.

Into the Woods (2014) and Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel

When portrayed in a contemporary or futuristic cinema, they are power-hungry bitches (The Devil Wears Prada with Streep again and Julianne Moore in The Hunger Games). The representation of grey-haired women as powerful “creatures” affirms the aforementioned statement about films as spaces where the abject can come alive. Apparently, women’s power is so threatening that can only be lived on screen – as a fiction.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and 2 (2014)

The other type of grey-haired on-screen characters are minor ones, usually mad, poor women, living on the fringes of society like Crazy Cat Lady from The Simpsons and Judy Davis in The Dressmaker.

The Simpsons (1989-) and The Dressmaker (2015)

Here, another dimension of discrimination against old women can be spotted: sanism (discrimination against people with mental illnesses) and class discrimination or classism. In this case, grey hair translates into the absolute loss of power – socio-economical (i.e. poverty) and personal or psychological (i.e. insanity).

Film representations of grey-haired women are stuck on the opposite sides of power; they are either powerful or powerless with the absence of anything in-between. This apparent on-screen invisibility – except for the aforementioned extremities in power – render the cultural desire for older women to be absent in society in general.

To conclude: this avoidance of grey-hair can be explained as a gendered abjection, a fear of death and women as the bearers of flesh, life and mortality and proof lies in almost every aspect of our social Western reality: everyday life, professional environments and media representations.

Thank you.

Zgornji citat povzame kulturno klimo, ki smo ji osebe ženskega* spola izpostavljene celo življenje, saj je – statistično gledano – intimno-partnerski umor (IPU v nadaljevanju) najpogostejši razlog za nasilno žensko smrt po svetu. Prizadene ženske vseh starosti, razredov in etničnosti/rase in v Sloveniji, kjer so umori redki, je najpogostejši način pokončanja žensk. Če bo ženska v Sloveniji umorjena, jo bo najverjetneje umoril zdajšnji ali bivši partner, saj je najnevarnejši prostor za žensko prav dom.

IPU se skuša poenostavljati in posploševati kot »osamljene primere«, »nepričakovane nesreče«, nekaj, kar se dogaja drugim, na obrobju družbe, spontano in nepremišljeno, zato medijske in populistične razlage, da gre za ljubosumnost ali »umor iz strasti«, ne držijo. Vzroki za skrajno obliko nasilja nad ženskami – vzeti nekomu življenje – tičijo drugje. IPU je tragični finale dlje časa trajajočega intimno-partnerskega nasilja (IPN v nadaljevanju), nasilja, ki se zgodi med osebama, ki sta intimni in zajema taktike, ki pomenijo nadzor nad drugo osebo (tj. psihično, emocionalno, seksualno, finančno in fizično nasilje).

IPU kot posledica IPN najpogosteje prizadene ženske v hetero odnosih, tveganje za njihov umor pa poveča prekinitev nasilne zveze s strani žensk. S feminističnega vidika je moško nasilje nad ženskami instrument moči, ker uveljavlja neposredno poslušnost, pokorščino in premaguje odpor. Ženske (žene, partnerke, punce) se morajo vest, izgledati in živeti po pravilih svojega moža/partnerja/fanta, saj niso obravnavane kot osebe, temveč kot predmeti, ki se jih poseduje. Zato je IPN oz. moško nasilje potrebno razumeti kot del (še vedno obstoječe) patriarhalne družbe in še posebej kulture hegemone moškosti, ki spodbuja in ceni agresivnost, moško dominacijo, žensko podrejenost.

Kljub formalno-pravni spolni enakosti mržnja do žensk še vedno tli, saj sodobna zahodna kultura (z njo pa tudi Slovenija) ostaja prepojena s simbolnim nasiljem do žensk, ki se pojavlja v skorajda vsej kulturni produkciji (jezik, umetnost, religija, folklora, humor, pop kultura, visoka kultura, medijske reprezentacije) in pomeni direktni, spet drugič pa benevolentni seksizem, ki se ga ne jemlje preveč resno. Tak primer simbolnega nasilja predstavlja konstrukcija moškega ljubosumja in/ali zalezovanja v pop kulturi,  ki je še vedno kodirano kot »romantično«, četudi gre za obliko psihičnega nasilja nad žensko. Tako ljubosumje je arhaični ostanek moškega spolnega posestništva, ki dojema ženske kot popredmetena bitja, ki jih je treba imeti zgolj zase (»če ne boš moja, ne boš od nobenega«), saj je lastninska pravica nad ženskami nekoč obstajala. Lastninska pravica do ljudi (npr. sužnjelastništvo) se je institucionalizirala enako kot pravica do nepremičnin, le da je bila kasneje zaradi vzpona človekovih pravic opuščena in prepovedana.

Ker se kultura simbolne lasti nad ženskami ohranja, si moški žensko nezvestobo in odhod partnerk iz zveze interpretirajo kot neposredno kršitev svojih »posestniških« pravic, IPN in IPU pa služita kot restitucija za izgubo moškega nadzora nad odnosom in »stvarjo« – žensko, saj »stvar« nima enakih pravic, da bi oporekala ali se pogajala  glede sebe in odnosa, v katerem je. Ko ženska avtonomija (tj. odločitev, da ženska zapusti partnerja) vdre na polje moške moči (tj. spolnega prilaščanja žensk v tem primeru), nastane tveganje za žensko, da bo »odstranjena«, saj se ženska v tem hipu vzpostavi kot Drugi in eden od načinov ravnanja z Drugim, ki moti red (spolni red v tem primeru) je pokončanje/eliminacija/umor. Edina posest, ki jo ljudje imamo, je naše življenje in uničiti to dobrino, ki jo posedujemo vse ženske (če že ne posedujemo toliko ekonomske, socialne in kulturne moči v družbi), je skrajna oblika mizoginije oz. sovraštva do žensk.

Da so intimno-partnerski umori s strani moških načrtovani, je razvidno iz dejstva, da potem, ko umorijo svojo partnerko, ponavadi storijo samomor, včasih pa tudi osebe, povezane z žrtvijo (otroci, starši, sorodniki/-ce, t.i. kolateralni umori). Kolateralni umori so dokaz, da je IPU skrajna manifestacija potrjevanja moške moči in želje po nadzoru, saj se posesivnost prenese na otroke, sovraštvo pa na ljudi, ki jih storilec vidi kot tekmece ali avtoriteto.

Tukaj je kratek pregled intimno-partnerskih umorov žensk v zadnjih skorajda desetih letih v Sloveniji, kjer sem kot spodnjo mejo določila leto 2008, saj je bil tega leta sprejet Zakon o preprečevanju nasilja v družini (ZPND), za vir pa uporabila arhiv RTV Slovenija, torej medij, ki ustvarja in posreduje informacije širši javnosti. Poleg IPU sem dodala tudi družinske umore (ko gre za IPU+, če so med žrtvami sorodniki/-ce), umore znank in neznank, IPU moških ter poskuse umora žensk (tj. umor bi se zgodil, če storilcu ne bi spodletelo ali pa so žrtve preživele).

2017

Novo Mesto – mož ustrelil ženo v hrbet, ki je preživela,

Lukovec, Štanjel na Krasu – 35-letnik umoril 80-letno babico (in 31-letnega brata), trupli obglavil, glavi sežgal,

Izola – 36-letnik umoril 53-letno stanodajalko, truplo vlekel po trgu in ga odvrgel pri smetnjaku,

Ljubljana – 22-letnica do smrti zabodla svojega 30-letnega partnerja,

Maribor – 87-letnik v skupnem stanovanju ustrelil svojo 70-letno partnerko, kasnejši poskus samomora mu ni uspel,

2016

Ribnica – 25-letnik na parkirišču v avtu z nožem ubil svoje 22-letno dekle, nato še sebe,

Ljubljana – 63-letnik zadavil svojo 61-letno soprogo,

Nova Gorica – nekdanji partner smrtno poškodoval 34-letno žensko,

Jesenice – 2-letna deklica podlegla poškodbam, ki sta ji prizadejala njena mati in 34-letni očim, 

Spodnje Hoče – 57-letnik skušal zadaviti svojo 47-letno partnerko, ki mu je pobegnila,

Celje – 39-letnik pred nakupovalnim središčem z nožem ubil 33-letno partnerko,

2015

Velenje – 46-letnik je na poti domov zadavil svojo 33-letno partnerko,

Tržič – 40-letna ženska zabodla do smrti 50-letno podnajemnico,

Apače – 46-letnik skušal med vožnjo zabosti svojo 36-letno soprogo, po dejanju je zbežal,

Kranj – 55-letnica zabodla do smrti svojega 71-letnega partnerja,

Zlatoličje – 31-letnik v gostinskem lokalu do smrti (41 vbodov) zabodel 24-letno natakarico,

Sv. Jurij v Slovenskih goricah – 24-letnik vlomil v hišo bivšega 22-letnega dekleta in jo skušal zadaviti,

Dravograd – 62-letnik na dvorišču stanovanjske hiše do smrti zabodel svojo 55-letno partnerko, nato pa storil samomor,

Kamnik – v stanovanju najdena umorjena 45-letna ženska in 54-letni partner, ki je storil samomor,

Dolenjske Toplice – 42-letnik s škarjami zabodel mater do smrti, oče je napad preživel,

Maribor – 40-letnik je sunil svojo 65-letno mater po stopnicah, ki se je pri padcu usodno poškodovala in kasneje umrla,

Celje – 32-letnik zadavil svojo 31-letno ženo in jo prevažal na zadnjem sedežu avta, ko so ga rutinsko ustavili policisti. Kasneje je v priporu storil samomor,

Dolenjske Toplice – 31-letnik grozil in streljal v hiši nekdanje partnerke,

2014

Ptuj – v garaži najdeni dve trupli, ustreljene 37-letne ženske in 61-letnega moškega, ki je napravil samomor,

Maribor – 25-letnik zabodel svoje 29-letno dekle,

Maribor – 45-letnik umoril s sekiro svojo 48-letno, spečo soprogo, nato pa se skušal utopiti v Dravi, a mu je poskus samomora spodletel,

Stari trg pri Ložu – 52-letnik je ustrelil svojo 38-letno bivšo soprogo na njenem delovnem mestu (skladišče sosednje trgovine), nato pa ustrelil še sebe,

Grosuplje – 37-letnik je v kozmetičnem salonu ustrelil svojo 37-letno soprogo, v stanovanju pokončal mladoletno pastorko, nato pa storil samomor s strelnim orožjem,

Domžale – 39-letni moški ustrelili 37-letno bivšo partnerko v preddverju poslovne stavbe,

Kranj – 40-letnik do smrti zabodel svojo 36-letno soprogo,

Podpeč – 31-letnico so ugrabili trije moški (33-letnik, 32-letnik in 26-letnik), jo več ur mučili in pretepali, kasneje pa zavrgli ob cesti, kjer je podlegla poškodbam,

Slovenj Gradec – 49-letnik je večkrat zabodel svojo 37-letno partnerko, a je preživela, obtožen je poskusa umora,

Slovenj Gradec – 36-letnica je zabodla v trebuh svojega 49-letnega partnerja potem, ko jo je večkrat udaril, moški ni bil v večji nevarnosti,

Jesenice – 39-letnik je na ulici večkrat zabodel partnerko, pred smrtjo so jo rešili mimoidoči,

2013

Celje – 51-letnik je zabodel svojo 52-letno sestro,

Škofja Loka – 78-letnik je s traktorjem povozil svojo partnerko do smrti,

Ptuj – 67-letnik je streljal na 47-letnega pastorka, njegovo 48-letno partnerko, jo zadel v vrat, zaradi česar je sedaj gibalno ovirana in 31-letnega soseda, za poskus trojnega uboja je dobil sedemletno zaporno kazen,

Benedikt – 45-letnik je do smrti zabodel svojega 50-letnega polbrata in huje poškodoval 70-letno mater, kasneje pa mu je spodletel poskus samomora,

Ptuj – 75-letnik ustrelil svojo 70-letno soprogo, nato še sebe,

Dokležovje – 20-letnik ugrabil 19-letno bivše dekle in ji grozil z nožem,

Domžale – 57-letnik v vrtcu ustrelil 38-letno bivšo ženo, nato ustrelil še sebe,

Kungota – 39-letnik zabodel svojo 37-letno partnerko, nato se poskusil obesiti,

Žalec – 45-letnik ustrelil svojo 30-letno partnerko, nato ustrelil še sebe,

Maribor – 55-letnik do smrti zabodel soprogo, nato storil samomor,

2012

Kamnik – 60-letnik z orodjem do smrti pokončal 59-letno sestro zaradi dediščine,

Kranj – 69-letnik ustrelil 73-letno sestro, ranil pa je še tri osebe,

Šentrupert – 58-letnica zabodla svojega 63-letnega soproga, nato še sebe,

Ljubljana – 54-letnik do smrti pretepel svojo 77-letno znanko v njenem stanovanju,

Ljubljana – 47-letnica do smrti zabodla svojo 83-letno mater,

Gornja Radgona – 28-letnik z nožem ranil bivšo partnerko, osumljen poskusa dvojnega uboja,

Gorišnica – 41-letnik poskušal umoriti svojo bivšo, 24-letno partnerko, zadušil 48-letnika,

2011

Lendava – 48-letnik skušal do smrti zabosti svojo 44-letno zunajzakonsko partnerko,

Brežice – Soprog je z lovsko puško najprej ustrelil soprogo, nato še sebe,

Šentjur – 51-letnik z lovsko puško iz neposredne bližine direktno v glavo ustrelil svojo bivšo, 47-letno partnerko, grozil ostalim

Slovenske Konjice – 55-letnik ustrelil svojo 42-letno partnerko, nato je poškodoval še sebe, a ni umrl,

Volovnik – 65-letnik ustrelil 45-letno soprogo in 21-letnega sina, nato podtaknil požar in storil samomor,

Cerkno – 50-letnik zabodel svojo 48-letno soprogo, nato se je ustrelil v prsi, a je preživel,

Gornja Radgona – 39-letnik ustrelil svoje bivše, 26-letno dekle, nato ustrelil še sebe,

Šentjur pri Celju – 42-letnik zadavil  33-letno bivšo partnerko, nato se je obesil,

Dogoše – 40-letnik pretepel zunajzakonsko partnerko in njunega sina, ta ga je nato zabodla do smrti,

Otočec – 52-letnik v prsi ustrelil 48-letno partnerko, nato storil samomor, partnerka je kljub poškodbam preživela,

Kresnice – 24-letnik in 26-letnik oropala pošto, pri tem ustrelila 52-letno poštno uslužbenko,

Slovenj Gradec – 41-letnik do smrti pretepel 68-letno mater, ker ga je opozorila na preglasno glasbo, ki je prihajala iz njegove sobe,

Mežica – 68-letnik zabodel svojo 63-letno soprogo, ki je napad preživela,

Ljubljana – 42-letnik skozi okno vrgel svojo 5-letno hči, ki je kasneje zaradi poškodb umrla,

2010

Novo Mesto – 38-letnik s palico pretepel svojo zunajzakonsko partnerko,

Ormož – 25-letnik grozil materi z nožem, nanjo naščuval psa,

Maribor – 54-letnik zadavil 55-letno ljubimko,

Maribor – 26-letnik z nožem grozil 23-letnemu bivšemu dekletu v lokalu, kjer je delalo, da bo ubil njo in sebe,

Cerkvenjak – bivši partner poškodoval 35-letno bivšo partnerko in umoril 74-letnika,

Maribor – 45-letnik zadavil svojo 57-letno sestro,

Celje – 53-letnica zabodla svojega 47-letnega zunajzakonskega partnerja, napad je preživel,

Ljubljana – Moški s topim predmetom ubil kitajski par, 45-letno žensko in 46-letnika,

Ptuj – 32-letnik ustrelil 26-letno zunajzakonsko partnerko, ki je napad preživela, storilec samomora ni preživel,

Žužemberk – 49-letnik ustrelil 44-letno soprogo, nato ustrelil še sebe,

Ljubljana – 67-letnik s sekiro hudo poškodoval 63-letno partnerko, nato pa se ustrelil,

Lendava – 66-letnik s sekiro napadel partnerko in hči, obtožen za poskus dvojnega uboja,

Brežice – 45-letnik zabodel do smrti 45-letno soprogo, nato mu je poskus samomora spodletel,

2009

Vinski Vrh pri Ormožu – 46-letnik ustrelil 41-letno zunajzakonsko partnerko, njeno 76-letno mater pa zabodel, lažje je tudi poškodoval obe hčeri,

Prekmurje – 51-letnik je odrinil svojo 49-letno partnerko, da je padla vznak in ji kljub poškodbam ni nudil pomoči, kar je povzročilo njeno smrt,

Maribor – 31-letni bivši policist v lokalu iz neposredne bližine ustrelil v glavo svojo bivšo ženo, 31-letno natakarico, nato ustrelil še sebe,

Slovenska Bistrica – 53-letnik s kovinsko berglo večkrat udaril 87-letnico, da je podlegla poškodbam, neznano, ali sta se storilec in žrtev poznala,

Maribor – 27-letnik z nožem poškodoval mater, do smrti zabodel dedka,

Maribor – 59-letnik do smrti zabodel 44-letnico, storilec in žrtev se nista poznala,

Kranj – Soproga udarjala s steklenicama po soprogovi glavi in ga pustila obležati, soprog preživel,

Sežana – 36-letna mati umorila svoja dva otroka, dveletno deklico in štiriletnega dečka,

2008

Mihovci – 32-letnik do smrti zabodel svojo bivšo, 32-letno partnerko v njenem stanovanju, priči sta bila sedemletna hči in štiriletni sin, oba nepoškodovana,

Spodnja Senica – 25-letnik umoril 54-letno mater in 57-letnega očeta, nato podtaknil požar,

Črnomelj – 39-letnik z lovsko puško ustrelil svojo 35-letno partnerko, nato sebe,

Besnica pri Ljubljani – 45-letnik ugrabil svojo bivšo 33-letno partnerko, jo odpeljal v gozd, tam ustrelil, nato ustrelil še sebe.

Ne pozabimo, da na vsako umorjeno partnerko obstaja na stotine pretepenih, posiljenih ali ustrahovanih žensk …

*osebe ženskega spola (tudi deklice in dekleta)

Enega od pogojev za civilizirano življenje (kot si ga predstavlja hegemonična moškost) predstavlja nadzor nad nagoni, torej tudi seksualnimi in posledično materinskimi čuti. Pričakovati od ženske, da postane mati tako pomeni siljenje, da pokaže svojo ‘nečlovečnost’. Če pa ženska ne postane mati, potemtakem ostane človeška ali civilizirana, a težava nastane, ker je v spolnem redu hegemonične moškosti prostor za civiliziran (tj. [samo]nadzorovan, avtonomen) subjekt namenjen … moškemu. Tako ne-mati ohranja moški red v nenehni ontološki negotovosti zaradi svoje nerealizirane ‘naravne’ ženskosti, s tem pa se poraja vprašanje, kaj nadomesti izpad njene biološke reprodukcije. Najpogosteje so to aktivnosti, ki so konstruirane kot ‘maskuline’, npr. absolutna svoboda brez obveznosti ali brezpogojna predanost lastnemu življenju in karieri, najpogosteje na področjih akademije, umetnosti, politike ali podjetništva, tj. v panogah, ki so na očem javnosti in nosijo več družbene moči, prestiža in denarja.

Kdo sodi v kategorijo ne-mater? Najprej so tu  ženske, ki so reproduktivno zdrave, a so se odločile, da ne bodo matere v kakršnikoli obliki, potem so to ženske, ki ne morejo imeti otrok, a si jih želijo in na koncu samske ženske, ki so že prešle rodno obdobje ne da bi imele otroke (biološke ali posvojene).  Kot ne-matere so najmanj stigmatizirane reproduktivno nezmožne ženske, ker želja po materinstvu obstaja, a je iz objektivnih razlogov neizpolnjena. Sledijo samske ženske in lezbijke brez otrok, saj je odsotnost moškega partnerja za vzpostavitev jedrne družine družbeno sprejemljiv vzrok za ne-materinstvo. Najbolj negativno so označene heteroseksualne ženske v partnerski zvezi, saj so objektivni pogoji za materinstvo izpolnjeni (prisotnost moškega za jedrno družino, reproduktivna zmožnost), a odloča subjektivni razlog – ženska odsotnost želje po otrocih. Pravica po odsotnosti materinske želje pomeni razumsko odločitev in prej omenjeno preseganje nagonskih, neciviliziranih impulzov, ki naj bi tvorili žensko kot zgolj telo za reprodukcijo človeštva.  Ne-izbrati materinstvo pomeni odločati (tj. imeti svoj ‘glas’) o lastnem telesu, to pa je nekaj, kar se je ženskam skozi zgodovino človeštva odrekalo.

Če je reproduktivno nezmožna ženska zgolj žrtev biologije, se od plodne ne-matere pričakuje, da se bo družbeno ‘odkupila’ za svojo izbiro, kar se lahko zgodi skozi profesionalni poklic (socialno delo, prosveta, zdravstvo in ostala kvazi-skrbstvena dela z ljudmi) ali prostočasne aktivnosti (skrb za ostarele družinske člane/-ice, prostovoljstvo, delo z otroki ali živalmi). Skrb za druge, ki tvori dobro ženskost in v primeru ne-mater umanjka  (tj. ne prenese se na otroka), se mora zato prenesti na druge osebe ali bitja, skrbi potrebne. Taka kvazi-materinska skrbstvenost zato deluje kot popravljalna metoda odklonskosti, saj so bile v preteklosti ne-matere patologizirane, tj. prikazane kot psihološko neprilagojene, histerične, čustveno poškodovane in samovšečne, ‘moško sebične’ namesto ‘žensko razdajalne’. S takim medicinskim portretiranjem (in medicina še vedno velja za eno od tvork resnic v družbi o tem, kaj je ‘normalno’ in kaj ne) so služile za simbolno opozorilo ostalim ženskam, ki so morda dvomile v materinski mandat.

Družbena strpnost do ne-mater je zdaj vseeno višja, kot je bila v preteklosti, saj je diktat obveznega materinstva upadel, ni pa izginil. Nadomestila ga je ideologija odloženega materinstva, ko se odločanje za materinstvo preloži na kasnejša leta v življenjski biografiji posameznice, kar nudi iluzorni občutek o svobodi izbire za materinstvo (»še vedno imam čas za otroke«). A prelaganje materinstva na kasnejši čas v posamezničinem življenju vodijo ne le subjektivni vzgibi, temveč gre za preplet z objektivnimi okoliščinami, kot so stanje podaljšane mladosti; daljšanje šolanja žensk; zaostreni pogoji na trgu delovne sile, ki grozijo s finančno odvisnostjo od drugih (moža, rodne družine, države); želja po ohranjanju nepretrgane poklicno-karierne poti; nevarnost poroda ali rojstvo nezdravega otroka; zaskrbljenost zaradi prenaseljenosti (t.i. zelena odločitev); prepričanje o lastni neadekvatnosti za materinstvo in materinjenje; ekonomsko-materialna obremenitev intimne zveze ali samskega življenja; urbano okolje, kjer so možnosti za preživljanje prostega časa večje (npr. potrošnja, civilno-družbene iniciative, večji izbor kulturnega življenja).

Za konec še pogled na dva angleška izraza, ki vsak po svoje vrednotita to družbeno pozicijo. Izraz ‘childless‘ konotira manko v ženskem življenju, na neizpolnjevanje primarne vloge žensk, na jezikovno mikro-agresivnost take ženske izbire s strani drugih, saj pomeni ‘biti brez nečesa ali nekoga’. Bolj pozitivno besedno alternativo in manj vrednostno obremenjen je izraz ‘childfree‘, ki je v slovenščino neprevedljiv. Lahko bi se mu reklo ‘rešen/-a otrok’.

Viri:

Lindsey, Linda L. 2005. Gender Roles: A Sociological Perspective. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Oakley, Ann. 2000. Gospodinja. Ljubljana: Založba /*cf.

Seidler, Reinhard. 1998. Socialna zgodovina družine. Ljubljana: Studia Humanitatis.

Švab, Alenka. 2001. Družina: od modernosti do postmodernosti. Ljubljana: Znanstveno in publicistično središče.

To be awarded with one, two or three F’s a film must be: (1) directed by a woman, (2) written by a woman and/or (3) have significant women on screen in their own right. So, when a film is directed, written and has a woman’s narrative as a central premise, it gets 3F. Getting 2F rates means that a film is either directed and written by a woman, or written by a woman about a woman’s story, or a woman is directing a woman’s story. A film gets 1F, if it’s directed or written or revolves around a woman’s narrative. For other films, zero F—s.

The point of the F-rating system is to highlight films that have women in front of and behind the camera. It is not a perfect classification, but it’s a start of facing the fact that film industry is still mostly male-driven.

Here is a guide of films that I have seen, arranged chronologically and then alphabetically, according to the fulfilment of F-rates if you ever feel the urge to watch that has a women-centric seal of approval.

Btw, this is work in progress, perpetuum mobile… Enjoy though!

3F

American Honey (2016), Star (Sasha Lane) is a teenage girl with nothing to lose who joins a traveling magazine sales crew and gets caught up in a whirlwind of hard partying, law bending and young love; written and directed by Andrea Arnold,

Les Innocentes (2016), a story about a young doctor, Mathilde Beaulieu (Lou de Laâge), who helps raped and pregnant nuns after the end of WW2; directed by Anne Fontaine, written by Sabrine B. Karine, Alice Vial and Anne Fontaine,

Les Innocentes, 2015

The Love Witch (2016), a modern-day witch, Elaine (Samantha Robinson) uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her; written and directed by Anna Biller,

White Girl (2016), a college girl, Leah (Morgan Saylor) gets in troubles while residing in Brooklyn, NY in the summer; written and directed by Elizabeth Wood,

Wild (2016), a young, meek Ania (Lilith Stangenberg) abandons civilisation to connect with a wild wolf; written and directed by Nicolette Krebitz,

La Belle Saison (2015), a love story with not such a happy ending between Carole, a feminist activist (Cécile De France) and Delphine, a farmer (Izïa Higelin), set in 1970s France; directed and written by Catherine Corsini,

Maggie’s Plan (2015), Maggie Harden (Greta Gerwig) wants to have a baby on her own, but when she gets romantically involved with a married man, things get complicated; story by Karen Rinaldi, written and directed by Rebecca Miller,

Maggie’s Plan, 2015

Mustang (2015), a story about five Turkish sisters (Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan and Ilayda Akdogan) who are about to enter forced marriages; directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven and written by Alice Winocour and Ergüven,

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), an acapella girl group (Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee and Hailee Steinfeld) heads for the international competition; directed by Elizabeth Banks, co-written by Kay Cannon,

Sangailes vasara (Summer of Sangaile, 2015), a lesbian coming-of-age love story between Sangaile (Julija Steponaityte) and Auste (Aiste Dirziute); directed and written by Alante Kavaite,

Suffragette (2015), about an early feminist movement in UK, starring Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep; directed by Sarah Gavron and written by Abi Morgan,

Suffragette, 2015

The Dressmaker (2015), a glamorous seamstress, Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), returns home to her small town in rural Australia to get revenge on those who did her wrong, also starring Judy Davis, Julia Blake, Kerry Fox, Rebecca Gibney, Caroline Goodall, Sacha Horler, Sarah Snook and Alison Whyte; novel by Rosalie Ham, co-written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse,

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), a vengeful and lonesome vampire (Sheila Vand) stalks men in ghost-town Bad City; written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour,

Bande de Filles (Girlhood, 2014), a story about a young Marieme/Vic (Karidja Touré) with few real prospects finding herself and her ways, also starring Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh and Mariétou Touré; written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

Bande de Filles, 2014

Life Partners (2014), a story about friendship between Sasha (Leighton Meester) and Paige (Gillian Jacobs); directed by Susanna Fogel, written by Joni Lefkowitz and Susanna Fogel,

Le Beau Monde (2014), a story of a gifted young fashion designer Alice (Ann Girardot) who gets her breakthrough with the help of a wealthy patron Agnès Barthes (Aurélia Petit); directed by Julie Lopes-Curval, written by Sophie Hiet and Julie Lopes-Curval,

Le Beau Monde, 2014

Obvious Child (2014), a twenty-something comedienne’s unplanned pregnancy forces her to get an abortion, starring Jenny Slate, Gaby Hofmann and Polly Draper; story by Karen Maine, Elisabeth Holm and Gillian Robespierre, screenplay and directed by Gillian Robespierre,

Obvious Child, 2014

Party Girl (2014), a sixty-year-old cabaret dancer, Angélique (Angélique Litzenburger), decides to get married but she changes her mind; written and directed by Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq,

In a World … (2013), a story about a voice coach Carol (Lake Bell) who wants to enter the male-dominated field of movie trailer voice-overs; written and directed by Lake Bell,

The Bling Ring (2013), inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes; starring Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Claire Julien; based upon an article by Nancy Jo Sales, written and directed by Sofia Coppola,

2 Days in New York (2012), Marion’s (Julie Delpy) family dynamic gets muddled when her family from Paris comes for a visit; written by Alexia Landeau and Julie Delpy, directed by Julie Delpy,

American Mary (2012), the allure of easy money sends Mary Mason (Katharine Isabelle), a medical student, into the world of underground surgeries; written and directed by Soska Sisters,

American Mary, 2012

Klip (2012), a teenager Jasna (Isidora Simijonović) documents everything around her with a mobile phone camera while winding up in an emotionally non-reciprocal hetero relationship; written and directed by Maja Miloš,

Få meg på, for faen (Turn Me On, Dammit, 2011), a 15-years old Alma (Helene Bergsholm) is sexually healthy teenager who fantasies a lot about sex, while others might shame her for that, also starring Malin Bjørhovde, Beate Støfring, Henriette Steenstrup, Julia Bache-Wiig and Julia Schacht; written and directed by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen,

Turn Me On, Dammit, 2011

Sleeping Beauty (2011), a portrait of Lucy (Emily Browning), a young university student, making money as an erotic worker; written and directed by Julia Leigh,

Sleeping Beauty, 2011

The Iron Lady (2011), a biopic about the aging former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), also starring Olivia Colman; screenplay by Abi Morgan, directed by Phyllida Lloyd,

Tomboy (2011), a coming-of-age story about a 10-year-old non-binary Laure/Mikhael (Zoé Héran), also starring Malonn Lévana and Jeanne Disson, written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

Tomboy, 2011

The Kids are All Right (2010), a story about a lesbian family (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) that gets a bit muddled by the arrival of a biological father of the children; co-written by Lisa Cholodenko, directed by Lisa Cholodenko,

The Runaways (2010), a biopic about the all-girl 1970s rock band The Runaways (Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton and Alia Shawkat); book by Cherie Curie, directed by Floria Sigismondi,

Tiny Furniture (2010), a grad student Aura (Lena Dunham) tries to figure out what to do in her life, also starring Laurie Simmons, Grace Dunham, Merritt Wever, Amy Seimetz and Jemima Kirke; written and directed by Lena Dunham,

Tiny Furniture, 2010

Winter’s Bone (2010), Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) tries to track her father down through the unhospitable social terrain of Ozark Mountain; screenplay by Anne Rosellini and Debra Granik, directed by Debra Granik,

Winter’s Bone, 2010

Coco before Chanel (2009), a biopic about pre-fame Coco Chanel (Audrey Tautou); screenplay by Camille and Anne Fontaine, directed by Anne Fontaine,

Coco before Chanel, 2009

Cracks (2009), a look at the lives and relationships among girls at an elite boarding school in 1930s England, starring Eva Green, Juno Temple, María Valverde, Imogen Poots, Ellie Nunn, Adele McCann, Zoe Carroll, Clemmie Dugdale and Sinéad Cusack; novel by Sheila Kohler, co-written by Caroline Ip and Jordan Scott, directed by Jordan Scott,

Fish Tank (2009), everything changes for 15-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis) when her mum, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), brings home a new boyfriend; written and directed by Andrea Arnold,

Fish Tank, 2009

It’s Complicated (2009), a divorcée and bakery owner Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) is torn between two men; written and directed by Nancy Meyers,

Jennifer’s Body (2009), a popular high school girl Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) turns into a succubus after a failed human sacrifice, performed by an indie band, also starring Amanda Seyfried, Amy Sedaris and Valerie Tian; written by Diablo Cody, directed by Karyn Kusama,

Jennifer’s Body, 2009

Julie & Julia (2009), Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with food blogger Julie Powell’s (Amy Adams) 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book; book by Julie Powell and Julia Child, written and directed by Nora Ephron,

Nothing Personal (2009), a young divorcée (Lotte Verbeek) heads to austere landscapes of Connemara, Ireland, to lead a solitary existence; written and directed by Urszula Antoniak,

Nothing Personal, 2009

The Countess (2009), a biopic about a 17^th century Hungarian countess, Báthory Erzsébet (Julie Delpy); written and directed by Julie Delpy,

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), a story about reflections on a one woman’s life, Pippa Lee, starring Robin Wright, Blake Lively, Zoe Kazan, Maria Bello, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore and Monica Bellucci; written and directed Rebecca Miller,

Whip It (2009), an indie-rock loving Bliss Cavendar/Babe Ruthless (Ellen Page) blossoms after she discovers a roller derby league in nearby Austin, also starring Alia Shawkat, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Zoë Bell, Eve, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis and Ari Graynor; novel and screenplay by Shauna Cross, directed by Drew Barrymore,

Whip It, 2009

Sagan (2008), a biopic about Françoise Sagan (Sylvie Testud); written by Claire Lemaréchal, Martine Moriconi and Diane Kurys, directed by Diane Kurys,

Sagan, 2008

2 Days in Paris (2007), Marion (Julie Delpy) visits her parents in Paris with her boyfriend; written and directed by Julie Delpy,

Kid Svensk (2007), a coming-of-age story about 12-years old girl, Kid Svensk (Mia Saarinen), spending her summer of ’84 in Finland with her mother, Ester Ruotsalainen (Milka Ahlroth) and her family; written and directed by Nanna Huolman,

Naissance des Pieuvres (Water Lilies, 2007), a-coming-of-age lesbian love story, starring Pauline Acquart, Adèle Haenel and Louise Blachère; written and directed by Céline Sciamma,

The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), five women (Kathy Baker, Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman and Maggie Grace) and one man start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships – both old and new – begin to resemble 21^st century versions of her novels; book by Karen Joy Fowler, screenplay and directed by Robin Swicord,

XXY (2007), a story about 15-year-old intersex Alex Kraken (Inés Efron); written and directed by Lucía Puenzo,

XXY, 2007

Marie Antoinette (2006), a postmodern biopic about Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst); directed and written by Sofia Coppola,

Marie Antoniette, 2006

The Holiday (2006), two women, movie-trailer maker Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and wedding columnist Iris Smipkins (Kate Winslet), swap their houses and their lives are changed; directed and written by Nancy Meyers,

Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), an eccentric performance artist, Christine Jesperson (Miranda July), finds love; written and directed by Miranda July,

Me and You and Everyone We Know, 2005

North Country (2005), a fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States – Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, starring Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, Sissy Spacek, Linda Emond, Jillian Armenante and Michelle Monaghan; book by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy, directed by Niki Caro,

North Country, 2005

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), a biopic about a pin-up legend, Bettie Page (Gretchen Mol), also starring Sarah Paulson and Lili Taylor, co-written by Guinevere Turner and Mary Harron, directed by Mary Harron,

Iron Jawed Angels (2004), a story about suffragettes’ fight for women’s rights in 1917, starring Hillary Swank, Margo Martindale, Anjelica Huston, Frances O’Connor, Vera Farmiga and Adilah Barnes; story by Jennifer Friedes, teleplay by Sally Robinson, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer and Jennifer Friedes, directed by Katja von Garnier,

Somersault (2004), a haptic teenager Heidi (Abbie Cornish) runs away from home to Australian Alps; written and directed by Cate Shortland,

In the Cut (2003), New York writing professor, Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan), has an affair with a police detective who is investigating the murder of a young woman in her neighbourhood, also starring Jennifer Jason Leigh; novel by Susanna Moore, screenplay co-written by Susanna Moore and Jane Campion, directed by Jane Campion,

In the Cut, 2003

Monster (2003), a biopic about a serial killer, Aileen Wuornos (Charlize Theron), also starring Christina Ricci; written and directed by Patty Jenkins,

My Life without Me (2003), due to her terminal illness, Ann (Sarah Polley) decides to live her life as never before, also starring Amanda Plummer, Leonor Watling, Debbie Harry and Maria de Medeiros; book by Nanci Kincaid, written and directed by Isabel Coixet,

Thirteen (2003), a teenage girl, Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood), forms a new relationship with a wild girl, Evie Zamora (Nikki Reed) that worsens relationship with her mother, Melanie (Holly Hunter); written by Nikki Reed and Catherine Hardwicke, directed by Catherine Hardwicke,

Thirteen, 2003

Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), a divorced writer Frances (Diane Lane) moves to Italy to start a new life, also starring Sandra Oh and Lindsay Duncan; book by Frances Mayes, screenplay and directed by Audrey Wells,

Under the Tuscan Sun, 2003

À la Folie … Pas du Tout (He Loves Me … He Loves Me Not, 2002), a young woman, Angélique (Audrey Tautou) is obsessively in love with a married man; written by Caroline Thivel and Laetitia Colombani, directed by Laetitia Colombani,

Bend It like Beckham (2002), a story about two friends, Jasminder “Jess” Kaur Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) and Jukie “Jules” Paxton (Keira Knightley), joining girl’s football team, also starring Archie Panjabi, Shaznay Lewis, Juliet Stevenson and Shaheen Khan; co-written by Guljit Bindra and Gurinder Chadha,

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), a story about a rocky relationship between mother Vivi (Ellen Burstyn) and daughter Sidda (Sandra Bullock) and its reconciliation, also starring Fionnula Flanagan, Cherry Jones, Ashley Judd, Shirley Knight and Maggie Smith; novel by Rebecca Wells, written and directed by Callie Khouri,

Frida (2002), a biopic about Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek), also starring Mía Maestro, Valeria Golino, Saffron Burrows and Ashley Judd; book by Hayden Herrera, screenplay co-written by Anna Thomas  and Diane Lake, directed by Julie Taymor,

Frida, 2002

Hysterical Blindness (2002), a story about a female friendship between Debby (Uma Thurman) and Beth (Juliette Lewis), set in the 1980s; directed by Mira Nair, written by Laura Cahill,

Hysterical Blindness, 2002

Laurel Canyon (2002), a subplot involves a sexual relationship between Alex, a Ph.D. candidate (Kate Beckinsale), and her mother-in-law, Jane, a record producer (Frances McDormand); written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko,

Roozi Ke Zan Shodam (The Day I Become a Woman, 2000), three interconnected vignettes depicting women at three stages of life in Iran: a 9-year old girl, Hava (Fatemeh Cherag Akhar), cannot play with her friend, a boy, a young wife, Ahoo (Shabnam Tolouei), enters bicycle race against her husband’s objections, and an old woman, Hoora (Azizeh Sedighi), decides to live on the ship for the rest of her life; co-written and directed by Marzieh Makhmalbaf,

Boys Don’t Cry (1999), a biopic about a trans man, Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank); directed and co-written by Kimberly Pierce,

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999), a teenager, Megan (Natasha Lyonne), is sent to a conversion camp to be cured from lesbianism, also starring Michelle Williams, Melanie Lynskey, Clea DuVall and Katrina Phillips; directed and story by Jamie Babbit,

But I’m a Cheerleader, 1999

Holy Smoke (1999), a young, spiritual woman, Ruth Barron (Kate Winslet), must be de-programmed from her cult convictions; written by Anna and Jane Campion, directed by Jane Campion,

Mansfield Park (1999), after major social turbulences, a low-income Fanny Price (Frances O’ Connor) marries a wealthy man, whom she loves; novel by Jane Austen, directed and written by Patricia Rozema,

Romance (1999), a woman’s journey of sexual exploration; starring Caroline Ducey, written and directed by Catherine Breillat,

Virgin Suicides (1999), a story about five Lisbon sisters (Kirsten Dunst, A.J. Cook, Hanna R. Hall, Leslie Hayman and Chelse Swain), sheltered by their strict, religious parents in suburban Detroit in the mid-1970s; written and directed by Sofia Coppola,

Strike! (1998), in the 1960s, a group of friends (Kirsten Dunst, Gaby Hoffmann, Monica Keena, Heather Matarazzo and Rachael Leigh Cook) at an all-girls school are opposing to the plan to be joined with a nearby all-boys school, also starring Lynn Redgrave; written and directed by Sarah Kernochan,

Strike! 1998

A Thousand Acres (1997), “King Lear”, set on a farm in Iowa, starring Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Jason Leigh; novel by Jane Smiley, screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse,

Bound (1996), Corky, a tough ex con (Gina Gershon), and her lover Violet (Jennifer Tilly) concoct a scheme to steal millions of stashed mob money and pin the blame on Violet’s crooked boyfriend; written and directed by The Wachowski Sisters,

Bound, 1996

Foxfire (1996), a story of five teenage girls (Hedy Burress, Angelina Jolie, Jenny Lewis, Jenny Shimizu and Sarah Rosenberg) who form an unlikely bond after being sexually harassed by a teacher; novel by Joyce Carol Oates, screenplay by Elizabeth White, directed by Annette Haywood-Carter,

I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), a biopic about a radical feminist and lesbian, Valerie Solanas (Lili Taylor); research by Diane Tucker, co-written and directed by Mary Harron,

I Shot Andy Warhol, 1996

The Portrait of a Lady (1996), a wealthy and trusting American, Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) get scammed by a charming and sociopathic husband; screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jane Campion,

Antonia’s Line (1995), a Dutch matron, Antonia (Willeke van Ammelrooy) establishes and, for several generations, oversees a close-knit, matriarchal community where feminism and liberalism thrive; written and directed by Marleen Gorris,

Antonia’s Line, 1995

Clueless (1995), Jane Austen’s Emma, set in a modern L.A., starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy and Elisa Donovan; written and directed by Amy Heckerling,

Now & Then (1995), a coming-of-age story about four friends and their reunion years later, starring Christina Ricci/Rosie O’Donnell, Thora Birch/Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffmann/Demi Moore and Ashleigh Aston Moore/Rita Wilson; written by I. Marlene King, directed by Lesli Linka Glatter,

Little Women (1994), the coming-of-age tale about March sisters (Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes, Samantha Mathis/Kirsten Dunst) during post-Civil War era; novel by Louisa May Alcott, screenplay by Robin Swicord, directed by Gillian Armstrong,

The Piano (1993), a mute woman, Ada (Holly Hunter) is sent to 1850s New Zealand along with her young daughter, Flora (Anna Paquin), and prized piano for an arranged marriage to a wealthy, insensitive landowner, but soon finds passion with an attentive worker; written and directed by Jane Campion,

A League of Their Own (1992), all-women baseball teams replace men during WW2, starring Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, Ann Cusack, Anne Ramsay and Freddie Simpson; directed by Penny Marshall, story by Kim Wilson and Kelly Candaele,

Gas Food Lodging (1992), a story about a mother, Nora (Brooke Adams) and her daughters, Trudi (Ione Skye) and Shade (Fairuza Balk), living in New Mexico desert; written and directed by Allison Anders,

Orlando (1992), centuries long story about an aristocratic gender-bending Orlando (Tilda Swinton); novel by Virginia Woolf, written and directed by Sally Potter,

Orlando, 1992

This is My Life (1992), a stand-up comic, Dotie Ingels (Julie Kavner) juggles between motherhood and her career, also starring Samantha Mathis, Gaby Hoffmann and Carrie Fisher; book by Meg Wolitzer, screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron, directed by Nora Ephron,

An Angel at my Table (1990), Janet Frame’s “Otherness” kept her in a mental institution but she became an awarded and well-known author, starring Kerry Fox; autobiography by Janet Frame, screenplay by Laura Jones, directed by Jane Campion,

An Angel at my Table, 1990

Blue Steel (1990), a rookie cop, Megan Turner (Jamie Lee Curtis) enters a cat-and-mouse game with a psychopath; directed and co-written by Kathryn Bigelow,

She-Devil (1989), a smart and resourceful housewife, Ruth Patchett (Roseanne) takes revenge on her husband when he begins an affair with a wealthy romance novelist, Mary Fisher (Meryl Streep); novel by Fay Weldon, directed by Susan Seidelman,

She-Devil, 1989

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), set in New York, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette)  and a bohemian drifter Susan Thomas (Madonna) – linked by various announcements in the personal column of a newspaper; written by Leora Barish, directed by Susan Seidelman,

Desperately Seeking Susan, 1985

Sans Toit Ni Loi (Vagabond, 1985), a young woman, Mona Bergeron (Sandrine Bonnaire) is found dead and through flashbacks is explained what led to this tragedy; directed and written by Agnès Varda,

Yentl (1983), a Jewish girl, Yentl (Barbra Streisand) disguises herself as a boy to enter religious training; co-written and directed by Barbra Streisand,

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), a lonely housewife, Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) is also a sex worker; written and directed by Chantal Akerman,

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, 1975

Sedmikrásky (Daisies, 1966), a story about two adventurous teenage girls Marie I (Jitka Cerhová) and Marie II (Ivana Karbanová); directed and written by Vera Chytilová,

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), a short experimental film about a woman’s (Maya Deren) dreams; co-directed and written by Maya Deren,

Mädchen in Uniform (1931), at an all-girls boarding school, Manuela von Meinhardis (Hertha Thiele) falls in love with a teacher, Fraulein von Bernburg (Dorothea Wieck) to terrific consequences; play and co-written screenplay by Christa Winsloe, directed by Leontine Sagan,

Madchen in Uniform, 1931

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Wonder Woman (2017), Diana (Gal Gadot), princess of the Amazons, becomes Wonder Woman, leaves home to fight a war to end all wars to discover her full powers and true destiny; directed by Patty Jenkins,

Ah-ga-ssi (The Handmaiden, 2016), Sook-Hee (Tae-Ri Kim) is is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko (Min-Hee Kim), but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her; inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Walters and screenplay co-written by Seo-kyeong Jeong,

Ghostbusters (2016), physicists Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig), together with nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon), and subway worker Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) fight the otherworldly threat; co-written by  Katie Dippold,

Hidden Figures (2016), a biopic about three African-American women mathematicians, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji B. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who had a significant role in the 1960s NASA’s space program; based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, co-written screenplay by Allison Schroeder,

Hidden Figures, 2016

Julieta (2016), after a casual encounter, a brokenhearted Julieta (Emma Suárez & Adriana Ugarte) decides to confront her life and the most important events about her estranged daughter, Antía (Blanca Parés); adapted upon stories by Alice Munro,

Love & Friendship (2016), a story about friendship between Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) and Alicia Johnson (Chloë Sevigny); adapted upon a novella by Jane Austen,

By the Sea (2015), co-starring, written and directed by Angelina Jolie,

Carol (2015), a love story between Theresa (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett); adapted upon a novel of Patricia Highsmith for a screen by Phyllis Nagy,

Carol, 2015

Córki dancing (The Lure, 2015), a story about two killer mermaids, Srebrna (Marta Mazurek) and Zlota (Michalina Olszanska) in 1980s Poland; directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska,

The Lure, 2015

Dark Places (2015), a story about a 30-something years old woman, Libby Day (Charlize Theron) who survived the massacre of her own family when she was eight years old; novel by Gillian Flynn,

Joy (2015), a biopic about Joy Mangano (Jennifer Lawrence), the inventor of Miracle Mop, based upon a story by Annie Mumolo,

Mistress America (2015), Tracy’s (Lola Kirke) lonely life is turned upside-down by her NYC impetuous, adventurous stepsister-to-be, Brooke (Greta Gerwig); co-written by Greta Gerwig,

Mistress America, 2015

Victoria (2015), a young Spanish woman (Laia Costa) get to know the other side of Berlin; co-written story by Olivia Neergaard-Holm and Eike Frederik Schulz,

Fehér Isten (White God, 2014), a young girl, Lili (Zsófia Psotta) tries to find her dog, Hagen that was released by her father; co-written screenplay by Kata Wéber and Viktória Petrányi,

Wild (2014), a chronicle of one woman’s 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy, starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Gaby Hoffmann; memoirs by Cheryl Strayed,

Maleficent (2014), a tale about a witch, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) seeking justice; screenplay by Linda Woolverton,

Maleficent, 2014

Feuchtgebiete (Wetlands, 2013), the adventures of an offbeat young woman, Helen Memel (Carla Juri) with peculiar attitudes towards hygiene and sexuality; novel by Charlotte Roche, co-written screenplay by Sabine Pochhammer,

Ida (2013), Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, must before taking her vows, confront herself; co-written screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz,

Ida, 2013

La Vie d’Adèle (Blue is the Warmest Colour, 2013), a lesbian love story through eyes of Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), also starring Léa Seydoux as Emma; comic book by Julie Maroh, co-written screenplay by Ghalia Lacroix,

Reaching for the Moon (2013), a chronicle of the tragic love affair between American poet Elizabeth Bishop (Miranda Otto) and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares (Glória Pires); based on the novel Flores raras e banalíssimas by Carmen L. Oliviera, screenplay co-written by Julie Sayres and Carolina Kotscho,

Tracks (2013), a young woman, Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog; book by Robyn Davidson, screenplay by Marion Nelson,

Byzantium (2012), vampire sisters, Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) and Clara (Gemma Arterton) must survive in a postmodern world not to be overtly suspicious; play and screenplay by Moira Buffini,

Byzantium, 2002

Frances Ha (2012), Frances Ha (Greta Gerwig) tries to find her place under the NYC sun; co-written by Greta Gerwig,

Hunger Games (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), a tetralogy about a young woman, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) rebelling against an injustice of their class system; novel and co-written screenplay by Suzanne Collins,

Just Like a Woman (2012), Marilyn (Sienna Miller) and Mona (Golshifteh Farahani) hit the road, heading to Santa Fe to escape their lives, each with their own dreams and secrets; written by Marion Doussot and Joelle Touma,

Just Like a Woman, 2012

Pitch Perfect (2012), Beca (Anne Kendrick), a DJ and a freshman joins an all-girl acapella group; screenplay by Kay Cannon,

Pitch Perfect, 2012

The Girl (2012),  a biopic about Tippi Hedren’s (Sienna Miller) relationship with a stalking male director; co-written with Gwyneth Hugnes,

Albert Nobbs (2011), Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) is posing as a man so she can work as a butler in Dublin’s most elegant hotel where she meets Helen (Mia Wasikowska);  co-written screenplay by Gabriella Prekop and Glenn Close,

Alice in the Wonderland (2010), nineteen-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure; screenplay by Linda Woolverton,

Alice in Wonderland, 2010

Bridesmaids (2011), a story about female friendship and wedding stress, starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Bryne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon-Covey; written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo,

Hysteria (2011), directed by Tanya Wexler and co-written by Jonah Lisa Dyer,

Hysteria, 2011

Jane Eyre (2011), a tale about a woman’s social mobility, set in the 19^th century England, starring Mia Wasikowska; novel by Charlotte Brontë, screenplay by Moira Buffini,

Red Riding Hood (2011), set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) falls for an orphaned woodcutter; directed by Catherine Hardwicke,

Red Riding Hood, 2011

The Help (2011), an aspiring white author, Skeeter Phelan (Emma Stone) during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book, detailing the African American maids’ point of view (Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer) on the white families (Bryce Dallas Howard, Jessica Chastain) for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis; novel by Kathryn Stockett,

The Help, 2011

Young Adult (2011), a young adult writer, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) heads home for her ex-boyfriend baby-shower; written by Diablo Cody,

Young Adult, 2011

Tout Ce Qui Brille (All That Glitters, 2010), two low-income friends, Lila (Leïla Bekhti) and Ely (Géraldine Nakache) from suburbs of Paris want to overcome their class while their friendship is put to the test, also starring Virginie Ledoyen and Linh Dan Pham; co-directed and co-written by Géraldine Nakache,

Tout Ce Qui Brille, 2011

Chloe (2009), a young sex worker, Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) enters a relationship with the wrong client, Dr. Catherine Stewart (Julianne Moore); inspired by Anne Fontaine’s film Nathalie, screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Enid (2009), a biopic about an English children’s writer, Enid Blyton (Helena Bonham Carter); written by Lindsay Shapero,

Easy Virtue (2008), a story, set in 1920s about a glamorous American, Larita Whittaker (Jessica Biel) who is not accepted by her in-laws; co-written by Sheridan Jobbins,

Easy Virtue, 2008

Mad Money (2008), three female employees (Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes) of the Federal Reserve plot to steal money that is about to be destroyed; directed by Callie Khouri,

Rachel Getting Married (2008), a young woman, Kym (Anne Hathaway) is out of rehab and headed home for her sister Rachel’s (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding; written by Jenny Lumet,

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson), compete for the love of King Henry VIII; novel by Philippa Gregory,

Becoming Jane (2007), a biopic about pre-fame Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway); letters by Jane Austen, co-written by Sarah Williams,

Becoming Jane, 2007

Juno (2007), a teenager, Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) gets pregnant and decides to give the child up for adoption; written by Diablo Cody,

La Vie en Rose (2007), a biopic about Edith Piaf (Marion Cotillard); co-written by Isabelle Sobelman,

Ma Vie en Rose, 2007

Persepolis (2007), a story about an Iranian girl, Marjane (Chiara Mastroianni), growing up during the Islamic revolution; co-directed by Marjane Satrapi, comic book by Marjane Satrapi,

Persepolis, 2007

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006), a biopic about a photographer, Diane Arbus (Nicole Kidman); book by Patricia Bosworth and screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Notes on the Scandal (2006), a story about friendship between a middle-aged, single, lesbian schoolteacher Barbara Covett (Judi Dench), and her young, married, straight colleague, Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) who engages in an affair with her male student; novel by Zoe Heller,

She’s the Man (2006), Viola (Amanda Bynes) disguises herself as a boy to get into football team and falls for her male colleague; co-written by Kirsten Smith and Karen McCullah,

Beauty Shop (2005), a black entrepreneur, Gina Norris (Queen Latifah), opens a beauty salon; story by Elizabeth Hunter, co-written by Kate Lanier,

Beauty Shop, 2005

Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005), wealthy widow Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) buys an old London theatre and transforms it into the Windmill, a performance hall that includes also all-nude revues; book by Sheila van Damm, co-idea by Kathy Rose,

Mrs. Henderson Presents, 2005

Pride and Prejudice (2005), a love story that surpasses social class, starring Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, Talulah Riley, Kelly Reilly and Brenda Blethyn; novel by Jane Austen, screenplay by Deborah Moggach,

Catwoman (2004), a woman, Patience Phillips (Halle Berry) becomes endowed with catlike capabilities; co-story by Theresa Rebeck,

Mean Girls (2004), a story about a high school clique of popular girls (Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried and Lindsay Lohan) and their subordinates (Lizzie Kaplan); book by Rosalind Wiseman, screenplay by Tina Fey,

My Summer of Love (2004), a coming-of-age lesbian story about trust and deceit, starring Emily Blunt and Natalie Press; novel by Helen Cross,

Vanity Fair (2004), a life of a 19-th century socially savvy, Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon); directed by Mira Nair,

Vanity Fair, 2004

Calendar Girls (2003), a group of middle-aged British women (Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie and Penelope Wilton) decide to pose nude for a good cause; co-written by Juliette Towhidi,

Something’s Gotta Give (2003), starring Diane Keaton as a successful playwriter, Erica Barry; written and directed by Nancy Meyers,

Sylvia (2003), a biopic about a poetess, Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow); directed by Christine Jeffs,

Veronica Guerin (2003), an Irish journalist, Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett) writes mercilessly about drug dealers; story by Carol Doyle, screenplay by Carol Doyle and Mary Agnes Donoghue,

Secretary (2002), a masochistic young woman, Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) finds a perfect partner in her male employer; story by Mary Gaitskill, screenplay and story co-adaptation by Erin Cressida Wilson,

Secretary, 2002

White Oleander (2002), a teenager, Astrid Magnussen (Alison Lohman) drifts through several foster homes (Robin Wright, Renée Zellweger and Svetlana Efremova) after her mother, Ingrid Magnussen (Michelle Pfeiffer) goes to prison for committing a crime of passion; novel by Janet Finch, screenplay by Mary Agnes Donoghue,

Josie and the Pussycats (2001), a girl group, Josie and the Pussycats (Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid) find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages to masses through popular music; co-written and co-directed by Deborah Kaplan,

Kissing Jessica Stein (2001), Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) finds a perfect woman, Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen), instead of a man; written by Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen,

Legally Blonde (2001), a young woman, Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) wants to become a lawyer while almost everyone discourages her; novel by Amanda Brown, screenplay by Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith,

Prozac Nation (2001), a young Elizabeth (Christina Ricci) struggles with depression during her first year at Harvard; book by Elizabeth Wurtzel, adaption by Galt Niederhoffer,

The Piano Teacher (2001), a story about a masochistic piano teacher, Erika Kohut (Isabelle Huppert); book by Elfriede Jelinek,

American Psycho (2000), co-starring Reese Witherspoon, Chloë Sevigny and Samantha Mathis; directed by Mary Harron, written by Guinevere Turner and Mary Harron,

Erin Brockovich (2000), an unemployed single mother, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company, accused of polluting a city’s water supply; written by Susannah Grant,

Ginger Snaps (2000), two death-obsessed sisters, Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) must deal with the consequences when one of them is bitten by a werewolf; co-story and written by Karen Walton,

Ginger Snaps, 2000

Miss Congeniality (2000), a FBI agent, Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) goes undercover to enter a beauty pageant; co-written by Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas,

What Women Want (2000), starring Helen Hunt as a successful creative director, Darcy McGuire; directed by Nancy Meyers, co-written by Diane Drake and Cathy Yuspa,

Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), a mockumentary about a small-town beauty contest, starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Jenney, Denise Richards, Kirstie Alley, Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams and Alexandra Holden; written by Lona Williams,

Girl, Interrupted (1999), a biopic about a writer Susanna Kaysen’s (Winona Ryder) 18-month stay in a mental hospital in the 1960s, also starring Angelina Jolie, Brittany Murphy, Clea Duvall, Elizabeth Moss, Jillian Armenante, Vanessa Redgrave and Whoopi Goldberg; book by Susanna Kaysen, co-written screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan and Lisa Loomer,

Girl, Interrupted, 1999

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1999), two inseparable friends, Romy White (Mira Sorvino) and Michelle Weinberger (Lisa Kudrow), want to impress old classmates at the 10^th high school reunion; play and screenplay by Robin Schiff,

Beau Travail (1998), directed and written by Claire Denis,

Practical Magic (1998), two witch sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens must deny their nature to find love; novel by Alice Hoffman, screenplay co-written by Robin Swicord,

You’ve Got Mail (1998), starring Meg Ryan as a book owner, Kathleen Kelly, who goes out of business because of a disloyal competition; directed by Nora Ephron, screenplay by Nora and Delia Ephron,

G.I. Jane (1997), a young woman, Jordan O’Neill (Demi Moore) wants to be become a U.S. Navy Seal on behalf of the new politics of gender equality in military; story and co-written screenplay by Danielle Alexandra,

Emma (1996), in rural 1800s England, a young matchmaker, Emma (Gwyneth Paltrow) falls in love with a man she meant for another woman; novel by Jane Austen,

First Wives Club (1996), ex-wives (Betty Midler, Diane Keaton and Goldie Hawn) in their 40s plot revenge against their husbands, but along the way, a strong female bond and social cause are created; novel by Olivia Goldsmith,

First Wives Club, 1996

Nénette et Boni (1996), co-starring Alice Houri and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi; directed and co-written by Claire Denis,

Stealing Beauty (1996), a young girl, Lucy Harmon (Liv Tyler) seeks for her father in an artistic colony in Italy; co-written by Susan Minot,

Stealing Beauty, 1996

Home for the Holidays (1995), Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter), thirty-something woman with a teenage daughter, Kitt (Claire Danes) visit her parents for Thanksgiving and family drama arises; directed by Jodie Foster,

Home for the Holidays, 1995

Sense and Sensibility (1995), two sisters, Elinor (Emma Thompson) and Marianne (Kate Winslet) Dashwood must be married due to their social situation, yet turbulent journey is ahead; novel by Jane Austen, screenplay by Emma Thompson,

Sense and Sensibility, 1995

Tank Girl (1995) set in the dystopian future, Tank Girl (Lori Petty) with her friend, Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) fight mega-corporation for water; directed by Rachel Talalay,

Tank Girl, 1995

To Die For (1995), an ambitious want-be news anchor, Susan Stone (Nicole Kidman) will do anything to succeed; book by Joyce Maynard,

To Die For, 1995

Heavenly Creatures (1994), a story about intense friendship between Pauline Parker (Melanie Lynskey) and Juliet Hulme (Kate Winslet) that takes a horrific turn; co-written by Frances Walsh,

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1992), a teenage girl, Buffy (Kristy Swanson) is chosen to fight vampires; directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui,

Como Aqua Para Chocolate (1992), a story about Mexican matriarch, Elena (Regina Torné) and her daughters, Tita (Lumi Cavazos), Gertrudis (Claudette Maillé) and Rosaura (Yareli Arizmendi), along with the pain of the forbidden love; novel and screenplay by Laura Esquivel,

Como Agua Para Chocolate, 1992

L’Amant (The Lover, 1992), in 1920s French Indochina, a French teenage girl (Jane March) embarks on a romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man; novel by Marguerite Duras,

Don’t tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), a teenage Swell (Christina Applegate) tries to provide for the family while their mom is on vacation; co-written by Tara Ison,

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), a tale of strong-willed Southern women from 1920s to the 1980s (Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson); novel and screenplay by Fannie Flagg,

Rambling Rose (1991), a 1930s housemaid, Rose (Laura Dern) has sexual agency, but men only objectify her; directed by Martha Coolidge,

Rambling Rose, 1991

The Butcher’s Wife (1991), a clairvoyant islander Marina (Demi Moore) moves with her newly husband to NYC helping others to find love; co-written by Marjorie Schwartz,

Thelma & Louise (1991), a road movie about two women (Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon) who shot a rapist and are therefore on the run from police; written by Callie Khouri,

Thelma and Louise, 1991

Europa, Europa (1990), co-starring Julie Delpy; directed and co-written by Agnieszka Holland,

Julia Has Two Lovers (1990), Julia (Daphna Kastner) is torn between two men; story and co-written screenplay by Daphna Kastner,

Mermaids (1990), a female-headed Jewish family (Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci) relocate to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds; novel by Patty Dann, screenplay by June Roberts,

Mermaids, 1990

Postcards from the Edge (1990), a biopic about a celebrity mother, Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), and her daughter, Susanne Vale (Meryl Streep); book and screenplay by Carrie Fisher,

Postcards from the Edge, 1990

Troop Beverly Hills (1989), a divorced Beverly Hills socialite, Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long) embarks on a different life; written by Ava Ostern Fries, Pamela Norris and Margaret Oberman,

Troop Beverly Hills, 1989

Gorillas in the Mist (1988), a biopic about the primatologist Dian Fossey (Sigourney Weaver); based upon a story about D. Fossey, co-written by Anna Hamilton Phelan,

Gorillas in the Mist, 1988

Mystic Pizza (1988), a coming-of-age story about three friends, Kat (Annabelle Gish), Daisy (Julie Roberts), and Jojo (Lili Taylor); story by Amy Holden Jones,

Baby Boom (1987), a career woman, J.C. (Diane Keaton) must change her life after she inherits a baby from a distant cousin; co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Crimes of the Heart (1986), three sisters, Lenny (Diane Keaton), Meg (Jessica Lange) and Babe Magrath (Sissy Spacek) reunite after the tragic family incident; written by Beth Henley,

Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), a bank employee, Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg) helps escape a British agent; directed by Penny Marshall, co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Jumpin Jack Flash, 1986

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) goes back in time (i.e. the high school); co-written by Arlene Sarner,

Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985), a military kid, Janey (Sarah Jessica Parker) wants to become a TV dancer; written by Amy Spies,

The Color Purple (1985), a black Southern woman, Celie Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg) struggles to find her life after decades of abuse; novel by Alice Walker,

U raljama života (1984), two tales about 1980s women, shy typist Štefica Cvek (Vitomira Lončar) and director Dunja (Gorica Popović) who’s making film about Štefica; novel and co-written screenplay by Dubravka Ugrešić,

La Boum 2 (1982), a sequel of a love life of Vic Beretton (Sophie Marceau); co-written by Danièle Thompson,

Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), a biopic about a country singer, Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek); autobiography co-written by Loretta Lynn,

La Boum (1980), a story about a teenage girl, Vic Beretton (Sophie Marceau) experiencing love for the first time; co-written by Danièle Thompson,

La Boum, 1980

Private Benjamin (1980), a privileged young woman, Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) joins U.S. Army; co-written by Nancy Meyers,

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), three students (Anne Louise Lambert, Jane Vallis and Karen Robson) and a school teacher (Vivean Gray) disappear on an excursion to Hanging Rock, in Victoria, on Valentine’s Day, 1900; novel by Joan Lindsay,

The Group (1966), the lives of eight friends (Candice Bergen, Joan Hackett, Elizabeth Hartman, Shirley Knight, Joanna Pettet, Mary-Robin Redd, Jessica Walter and Kathleen Widdoes) from an all-girl college after their graduation into the adulthood; novel by Mary McCarthy,

Marnie (1964), a story about a thief, Marnie Edgar (Tippi Hedren) and her getting “rehabilitated” by a man; screenplay by Jay Presson Allen,

Marnie, 1964

The Birds (1963), a wealthy socialite (Tippi Hedren) goes to a small Californian town and gets attacked by birds; story by Daphne Du Maurier,

The Children’s Hour (1963), a troublemaking student, Mary Tilford (Karen Balkin) at a girls’ school accuses two teachers, Karen Wright (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine) of being lesbians; written by Lillian Hellman,

The Children’s Hour, 1961

Gidget (1959), Gidget (Sandra Lee) discovers surfing, co-written by Gabrielle Upton,

Imitation of Life (1959), a story about working mothers (Lana Turner and Juanita Moore), their young daughters (Sandra Dee and Susan Kohner) and internalized racism; written by Fannie Hurst and Eleanore Griffin,

Imitation of Life, 1958

Mädchen in Uniform (1958), a story about a schoolgirl, Manuela von Meinhardis (Romy Schneider) falling in love with her schoolteacher, Elisabeth von Bernburg (Lilli Palmer); written by Christa Winsloe,

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Loco Dempsey (Betty Grable), Pola Debevoise (Marilyn Monroe) and Schatze Page (Lauren Bacall) are looking to marry millionaires, instead they found love (and money); co-written by Zoe Akins and Katherine Albert,

Rebecca (1940), a self-conscious bride, Mrs. De Winter (Joan Fontaine) is tormented by the memory of her husband’s dead first wife; based upon a novel by Daphne Du Maurier, screenplay co-written by Joan Harrison,

The Women (1939), a story about lives of various interconnected women (Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Phyllis Povah, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler, Lucile Watson, Marjorie Main and Virginia Grey); written by Clare Boothe Luce, Anita Loos and Jane Murfin,

The Women, 1939

Triumph des Willens (1935), directed and written by Leni Riefenstahl,

Queen Christina (1933), a tale about a queer queen Christina of Sweden (Greta Garbo); co-written by Salka Viertel and Margaret P. Levino,

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A Quiet Passion (2016), a biopic about  American poet, Emily Dickinson (Cynthia Nixon),

Arrival (2016), a linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) can connect with alien species,

Arrival, 2016

Elle (2016), Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) is a successful businesswoman who gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down her rapist,

Personal Shopper (2016), Maureen Cartwright (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper, living in Paris with psychic abilities who wants to reconnect with her dead, twin brother,

Amy (2015), a documentary about singer Amy Winehouse,

Far from the Maddening Crowd (2015), a story about independent Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) and her three suitors,

Queen of the Desert (2015), a chronicle of Gertrude Bell’s (Nicole Kidman) life, a traveller, writer, archaeologist, explorer, cartographer, and political attaché for the British Empire at the dawn of the twentieth century,

Queen of the Desert, 2015

Sicario (2015), an FBI agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico,

The VVitch (2015), a young girl, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is accused of being a witch in the 1660s New England,

the VVitch, 2015

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014), a film star, Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche), and her PA, Valentine (Kristen Stewart), resort to a remote region of the Swiss Alps for play rehearsals,

Deux Jours, Une Nuit (Two Days, One Night, 2014), a factory worker, Sandra (Marion Cotillard) is trying to persuade her co-workers not be dismissed from work so they can get a bonus,

It Follows (2014), Jay Height (Maika Monroe) must escape unknown supernatural force,

It Follows, 2014

Lucy (2014), Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) transforms into a godlike entity,

Lucy, 2014

Selma (2014), co-starring Carmen Ejogo, Tessa Thompson, Lorraine Toussaint, Oprah Winfrey, Niecy Nash and Ledisi Young; directed by Ava Duvernay,

The Duke of Burgundy (2014), a lesbian, BD/ASMR love story between Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) and Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna),

Duke of Burgundy, 2014

August Osage County (2013), a family gathering of Weston family women and their families (Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson and Juliette Lewis),

Blue Jasmine (2013), a New York socialite’s (Cate Blanchett) financial and mental downfall,

Dvojina (Dual, 2013), a night of an intimate bonding between Tina (Nina Rakovec) and Iben (Mia Jexen),

Finding Vivian Mayer (2013), a documentary about an unknown street photographer,

Finding Vivian Maier, 2013

Jeune & Jolie (Young & Beautiful, 2013), Isabelle (Marine Vacth) has a secret life as a call girl,

Jeune & Jolie, 2013

Nymphomaniac I & II (2013, 2014), a journey of sexual exploration of Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg),

Spring Breakers (2013), four friends Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Corinne) head for the spring break and killing spree,

Spring Breakers, 2012

Stoker (2013), about India’s (Mia Wasikowska) sexual awakening and personal growth,

Stoker, 2013

Under the Skin (2013), a mysterious young woman (Scarlett Johansson) is an alien,

Anna Karenina (2012), a married woman, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) embarks on an affair with a count in Russian 19^th century high society,

Anna Karenina, 2012

King Kelly (2012), Kelly (Louisa Krause), a web cam sex worker wants fame and fortune,

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present (2012), a documentary about a performance artist, Marina Abramović,

Melancholia (2011), a story about two sisters, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), alongside with an inevitable apocalypse approaching,

Melancholia, 2011

Black Swan (2010), a story about a ballerina, Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman), a perfectionist who struggles mentally and professionally,

Dirty Girl (2010), a teenage Danielle (Juno Temple) running away from home,

Potiche (2010), a middle-aged trophy wife, (Catherine Deneuve) becomes a CEO of her husband’s company when he’s taken hostage by his disgruntled workers,

Potiche, 2010

Berlin ’36 (2009), a tale about a Jewish athlete, Gretel Bergmann (Karoline Herfurth) uncertain if she is going to be allowed  on the German team,

Berlin ’36, 2009

Grey Gardens (2009), a biopic about Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange) and her daughter, Little Edie (Drew Barrymore),

Grey Gardens, 2009

Slovenka (2009), a story about Aleksandra (Nina Ivanišin), a student who also works as a call girl,

The Young Victoria (2009), a biopic about an early reign of Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt),

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), a story about a joyous schoolteacher Poppy (Sally Hawkins),

Happy-Go-Lucky, 2008

Hurt Locker (2008), directed by Kathryn Bigelow,

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008), a middle-aged London governess, Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), accidentally steps into the glamorous world of an American actress Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams),

Margot at the Wedding (2007), a story about tempestuous visit between two sisters, Margot (Nicole Kidman) and Pauline (Jennifer Jason Leigh),

Teeth (2007), a high school student Dawn (Jess Weixler) discovers her vagina has teeth in it,

Teeth, 2007

Factory Girl (2006), a biopic about Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller), a socialite and one of Andy Warhol’s superstars,

Miss Potter (2006), a biopic about a children’s books author, Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger),

Volver (2006), a story about daughters, mothers, and death, starring Penelope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Blanca Portillo,

Flightplan (2005), a story about a young daughter, Julia (Marlene Lawston), who disappears mid-flight, and a mother/widow, Kyle Pratt (Jodie Foster), who’s trying to convince the crew about her disappearance,

Imagine Me & You (2005), a love story about sexually questioning bride, Rachel (Piper Perabo), and her lesbian florist, Luce (Lena Headey),

A Good Woman (2004), a distinguished Mrs. Erlynne (Helen Hunt) reunites with her daughter, Lady Windemere (Scarlett Johansson) in 1930s Italy,

Being Julia (2004), a tale about stage star Julia Lambert (Annette Bening), set in 1930s London,

Kill Bill II (2004), Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her guest of vengeance,

Ladies in Lavender (2004), two elderly sisters, Ursula (Judi Dench) and Janet (Maggie Smith) befriend a mysterious foreigner, who washes up on the beach of their 1930 Cornish seaside village,

Ladies in Lavender, 2004

Vera Drake (2004), a story about Vera Drake (Imelda Staunton), a woman who performed illegal abortions in 1950s Britain,

Vera Drake, 2004

Kill Bill I (2003), Bride (Uma Thurman) is seeking revenge,

Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a free-thinking art professor, Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) teaches conservative 1950s Wellesley students (Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ginnifer Goodwin) to question their traditional social roles,

Mona Lisa Smile, 2003

View from the Top (2003), Donna (Gwyneth Paltrow), a small-town woman achieves her goal of becoming a top scale flight attendant,

8 Femmes (8 Women, 2002), eight women (Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Ledoyen, Firmine Richard and Ludivine Sagnier), one murdered man and whodunit,

8 Femmes, 2002

Fine mrtve djevojke (Fine Dead Girls, 2002), a tale about lesbophobia, violence and moral hypocrisy in Croatia, starring Olga Pakalović and Nina Violić,

Panic Room (2002), a divorced mother, Meg Altman (Jodie Foster), and her daughter, Sarah (Kristen Stewart), must fight off the intruders in their new house,

The Hours (2002), an intertwined story about three women, linked with the book “Mrs. Dalloway”: Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep),

The Magdalene Sisters (2002), a story about “fallen” young Irish women (Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy, Eileen Walsh and Mary Murray) who are subjected to the dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum,

The Magdalene Sisters, 2002

Amélie (2001), an everyday life of a socially awkward Amélie (Audrey Tautou),

Ghost World (2001), a tale about friendship between two high school outsiders, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson),

Mulholland Drive (2001), a love story between amnesiac woman, Rita/Camilla Rhodes (Laura Harring,) and struggling actress, Betty/Diane Selwyn (Naomi Watts),

Malèna (2000), a male perspective about the most objectified woman, Malèna Scordia (Monica Bellucci) in an Italian village (and cinema),

Malèna, 2000

Saving Grace (2000), a small-town English widow, Grace (Brenda Blethyn) in financial troubles becomes a cannabis agriculturist,

Election (1999), a story about an ambitious, young go-getter, Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon),

Election, 1999

Jawbreaker (1999), a clique of popular girls (Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz) gets a new member, Fern/Vylette (Judy Greer), after the last one, Liz Purr (Charlotte Ayanna), is accidentally killed,

Todo Sobre mi Madre (All About My Mother, 1999), a story about mothers, pregnant nuns, lesbian actresses and trans women, starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Penelope Cruz and Antonia San Juan,

Elizabeth (1998), a biopic about the early reign of Queen Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett),

Elizabeth, 1998

Gia (1998), a biopic about supermodel Gia Carangi (Angelina Jolie),

Sliding Doors (1998), a story about parallel lives if Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow) catches a train or not,

Career Girls (1997), two friends from college, Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge) and Annie (Lynda Steadman) rekindle their friendship as adults,

Contact (1997), a story about a space researcher, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and her struggle with funding and general disbelief about her experience with time travelling,

Jackie Brown (1997), a story about middle-aged, low-income black woman, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who profits from deceiving everyone involved,

Jackie Brown, 1997

Mrs. Brown (1997), an intimate story about widowed Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her relationship with servant Brown,

The Associate (1996), a black business woman, Laurel Ayers (Whoopi Goldberg) must disguise herself  into a white, older man to succeed solo in Wall Street,

Diabolique (1996), two schoolteachers, a dean’s wife, Mia Baran (Isabelle Adjani) and dean’s mistress, Nicole Horner (Sharon Stone) plan to murder the dean, also starring Kathy Bates,

Matilda (1996), a story about a smart young girl (Mara Wilson), trapped in a world of a less smart authority figures,

Scream 1-4 (1996, 1997, 2000, and 2011), a tetralogy about a woman Sidney (Neve Campbell) who survives all attempts of a serial killer,

Secrets & Lies (1996), an adopted black woman, Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) looks for her biological white mother, Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn),

Secrets & Lies, 1996

Set It Off (1996), four black women from the inner city, Stony Newsom (Jada Pinkett), Cleo Sims (Queen Latifah), Frankie Sutton (Vivica A. Fox), and T.T. Williams (Kimberly Elise) rob banks, when the mistrust kicks in,

Boys on the Side (1995), three women – each with their own story – on a road trip, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Mary-Louise Parker and Drew Barrymore,

Dolores Claiborne (1995), a tale of an emotional reconnection between mother, Dolores Claiborne (Kathy Bates) and her daughter, Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) after years of domestic abuse from Dolores’ husband/Selena’s father,

Dolores Claiborne, 1995

La Flor de mi Secreto (The Flower of My Secret, 1995), an emotional struggle of a successful pulp writer, Amanda Gris/Leo Macias (Marisa Paredes),

Showgirls (1995), a story about an ambitious dancer, Nomi (Elizabeth Berkley) who wants to be top Las Vegas showgirl,

Strange Days (1995), co-starring Angela Bassett and Juliette Lewis; directed by Kathryn Bigelow,

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), a life of an awkward teenager, Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo) in New Jersey,

Welcome to the Dollhouse, 1995

Muriel’s Wedding (1994), a tale of friendship between Abba-obsessed Muriel Heslop (Toni Colette) and foul-mouthed, newly disabled Rhonda Epinstalk (Rachel Griffiths),

The Last Seduction (1994), an abused, by super smart Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) steals her husband’s drug money and hides in a small town where she meets the perfect dupe for her next scheme;

The Last Seduction, 1994

Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994), a model, Valentine (Irène Jacob) discovers her neighbour is keen on invading people’s privacy,

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), a look at about Sissy Hankshaw (Uma Thurman) and her enormous thumbs travelling across the country,

Hocus Pocus (1993), three witch sisters, Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy) are resurrected in modern era to cast spells,

Hocus Pocus, 1993

Kika (1993), adventures of a young cosmetologist, Kika (Verónica Forqué),

Poetic Justice (1993), a world through the eyes of a poetess Justice (Janet Jackson),

Poetic Justice, 1993

The Real McCoy (1993), a freed bank robber, Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger) is forced to do one more heist,

Trois Couleurs: Bleu (Three Colours: Blue, 1993), Julie Vignon-de Courcy’s (Juliette Binoche) struggle to live her life after the loss of her husband and child,

Death Becomes Her (1992), two frenemies, Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) and Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), are bound for eternity,

Single White Female (1992), Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh) becomes obsessed with her roommate, Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda),

Da Hong Deng Long Gao Gao Gua (Raise the Red Lantern, 1991), a story of a fourth wife, Songlian (Li Gong), set in the 1920s China,

Raise of the Red Lantern, 1991

La Double Vie de Véronique (The Double Life of Véronique, 1991), two women, Weronika and Véronique (Irène Jacob), living in different cities are connected,

La Double vie de Véronique, 1991

Little Man Tate (1991), co-starring and directed by Jodie Foster,

Point Break (1991), directed by Kathryn Bigelow, also starring Lori Petty,

Tacones Lejanos (High Heels, 1991), a story about neglecting mother, Becky del Paramo (Marisa Paredes) and her neglected daughter, Rebeca Giner (Victoria Abril),

Alice (1990), about a New York socialite, Alice (Mia Farrow), who changes her lifestyle,

La Femme Nikita (1990), a convicted felon, Nikita (Anne Parillaud) becomes a top assassin,

Shirley Valentine (1989), a bored middle-aged housewife, Shirley Valentine (Pauline Collins) goes to Greece to rediscover herself,

Shirley Valentine, 1989

Steel Magnolias (1989), a story about female friendship, set in Louisiana, starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts,

When Harry Met Sally (1989), co-starring Meg Ryan and Carrie Fisher; written by Nora Ephron,

Another Woman (1988), an intellectual, Marion (Gena Rowlands) gets intrigued by confessions of an unknown woman, Hope (Mia Farrow),

Heathers (1988), a snobbish clique of popular Heathers (Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker and Shannen Doherty) is being destroyed by Veronica (Winona Ryder),

Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, 1988), centres around Pepa (Carmen Maura), being abandoned by her married boyfriend and her effort tracking him down,

The Accused (1988), a story about a raped woman, Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster) and her prosecutor, Kathryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis) seeking justice in court,

Working Girl (1988), a story about women in business and social mobility, starring Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver,

Black Widow (1987), a cat and mouse plot about an investigator, Alexandra (Debra Winger), and a man-killing opportunist, Catherine (Theresa Russell),

Black Widow, 1987

Moonstruck (1987), Loretta Castorini (Cher) is torn between two men,

The Witches of Eastwick (1987), three local witches, Sukie Ridgemont (Michelle Pfeiffer), Jane Spotford (Susan Sarandon) and Alex Medford (Cher) in a relationship with the same man,

Pretty in Pink (1986), a low-income yet creative Andie (Molly Ringwald) is torn between two men,

Agnes of God (1985), a story about psychiatrist, Dr. Martha Livingston (Jane Fonda) who’s investigating a case about a nun, Sister Agnes (Meg Tilly) with a dead child,

Sweet Dreams (1985), a biopic about Patsy Cline (Jessica Lange),

Flashdance (1983), about a working-class welder/exotic dancer Alex Owens (Jennifer Beals) who wants to be a ballet dancer,

Terms of Endearment (1983), about an intense relationship between daughter, Emma Horton (Debra Winger) and mother, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine),

Terms of Endearment, 1983

Frances (1982), a tragic biopic about Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange), an actress who was more than her looks,

Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981), a biopic about a drug scene in the 1970s  Berlin, seen through the eyes of Christiane F. (Natja Brunckhorst),

Foxes (1980), a coming-of-age story about four friends, Jeanie (Jodie Foster), Annie (Cherie Curie), Madge (Marilyn Kagan) and Deidre (Kandice Stroh) in Los Angeles,

Ubij Me Nežno (1979), a pulp writer (Duša Počkaj) imagines her new story,

Autumn Sonata (1978), a story about a love-craving daughter, Eva (Liv Ullmann) and a self-absorbed mother, Charlotte Andergast (Ingrid Bergman),

Carrie (1976), Carrie’s (Sissy Spacek) telekinetic powers get unleashed after being humiliated,

The Stepford Wives (1975), after moving to suburbia, all of Joanna Eberhart’s (Katharine Ross) female neighbours seem strange,

The Stepford Wives, 1975

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), a mother and a widow, Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) wants to start a new life,

Viskningar Och Rop (Cries and Whispers, 1972), a tale about sibling’s resentment, set in the early 20^th century Sweden, starring Harriet Andersson, Kari Sylwan, Ingrid Thulin and Liv Ullmann,

Vampyros Lesbos (1971), a campy tale about lesbian vampire, Countess Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda) and her new lover, Linda Westinghouse (Ewa Strömberg),

Persona (1966), a story about two women, a nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson) and her patient, the mute actress Elisabet Vogler (Liv Ullmann), submerging into each other,

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), three go-go dancers, Varla (Tura Satana), Rosie (Haji) and Billie (Lori Williams) try to scheme others for money,

The Sound of Music (1965), an ex-nun, Maria (Julie Andrews) becomes a governess to seven children and eventually marries their father,

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), a story about two showgirls, Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) who seek love and fortune,

All about Eve (1950), a story about an aging movie star, Margo Channing (Bette Davis) and her fan/ personal assistant/replacement, Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter).

All about Eve, 1950

The postmodern, Western culture is an ocular-centric or even somatophobic one: we observe the world around us and therefore, necessarily (or deliberately) distant ourselves from others to get a more “objective” view of it. As much as we watch others, others watch us back. Some social groups are more conditioned to be watched (e.g. women, PoC, LGBT+, refugees, animals, disabled persons), while others have the privilege of an uninterrupted and entitled goggling (i.e. members of hegemonic masculinity with their male gaze). Sight creates distance or space between people, but touch nullifies that because it establishes a physical meeting (“meating”) between two subjects, or a person and an object; one can feel the texture of things or the warmth of the other person’s skin. The sensory impression replaces the “rational” one.

Eyesight has the top position on how we learn about the world around us; it is the “civilised” method unlike touch that is regarded as less credible or unruly sense. Touch is more egalitarian than sight since the one who is touching is also being touched back. The act itself triggers so called skin-ego, where skin as the protective surface marks our physical boundary with the outside. With touch we transgress boundaries of ourselves, of our bodies. Touching also implies intimate cosiness (e.g. children, mother-child, lovers, close friends, family) and therefore must be cultivated – whom, what, where, how and when it is appropriate to touch.

To Somersault’s lead, a 16-years-old Heidi (wonderfully portrayed by Abbie Cornish), touch represents her hidden modus operandi; she is a haptic person. By caressing things and people, she is establishing communication and connection with the world. When touching other people is being done by a young and beautiful girl, men easily frame and shame those acts as sexual. However, the ultimate manifestation of touch is the sexual act so Heidi engages a lot in casual sex. More sexist or patriarchal viewers would label her as “slut”, focusing on her “angelic looks” or “sexual magnetism”, but all this reduces her haptic sexual agency to being a sexual prop for male consumption which is not the case in Somersault. Those descriptions just signal an inept stereotyping of women’s sexuality and sensuality.

Director Cate Shortland generously reveals Heidi’s haptic character by largely focusing on her hands – what they do, whom they touch. Heidi’s desire to touch is a feminist tactic that subverts the male gaze, a man’s social entitlement in an ocular-oriented culture to look at Others without being looked back. Men may eye her as an object, but her reaction is to touch them. And objects don’t react so now they are transformed into equal subjects of touching. But there is another aspect of subverting the gender of a person who touches. Along with the privilege of male gaze, men also exhibit the behaviour called “mantouching” which allows men of certain age, social class and power to touch others without any consequences. In her own gentle way, Heidi is changing that paradigm not to subordinate others but perhaps to destigmatise touch as a secondary sense.

Taking pleasure in touching can also be a proof that Heidi might be ASMR; she is soft-spoken, her caressing of things and people gives her satisfaction, she enjoys being undressed by someone else or being non-sexually touched, and she revels in personal attention from sexually ambiguous Joe (Sam Worthington) when he slowly washes her face. Regardless of the current cultural snub about ASMR (“does it exist or not?”) if any sensual activity gives women major enjoyment…

Somersault also excels visually with the blurry, dreamlike cinematography by Robert Humphreys and subtle soundtrack by Decoder Ring. It is a mesmerizing piece of cinema that celebrates Other types of senses.

Ne glede na materino češko poreklo, je Ivanka polnokrvna Američanka (ergo: ni priseljenka za razliko od njene matere in mačehe). Kot hči milijonarja je bila izpostavljena neizprosni poslovni klimi očeta, zato se je bolj ali manj sama “naštimala”, da bi postala več kot le trofejska žena nekega poslovneža in s tem na nek način presegla svoj spol (vseeno ima dva brata, ki sta pravilnejšega spola) ter se dokazala očetu. Nekaj malega manekenske kariere (tj. prvi poslovni pristop k unovčenju videza), ustrezna poslovna izobrazba, zaposlitev v enem izmed podjetij očetove korporacije, sodelovanje pri očetovem resničnostnem šovu  in kasneje znamčenje svoje top poslovne ženskosti (tj. oblačila, nakit, knjige/priročniki, skrbno izbrano projiciranje svojega življenjskega stila preko socialnih omrežij, predvsem vizualnega Instagrama). Ob tem je zadostila tudi kriterijem tradicionalne ženskosti, saj je mati treh otrok, žena in občasno verjetno tudi kdaj kaj skuha/pospravi.

Ivanka je fantazma post-feminizma oz. neoliberalne spolno slepe smeri, ki trdi, da so spol in ostali družbeni faktorji (razred ali barva kože recimo) preseženi in da sta trdo delo in žrtvovanje dovolj za kakršenkoli uspeh. Ivanka zagovarja zaposlene ženske, a ni feministka, saj je za to preveč … poslovno usmerjena, ker vé, da je včasih treba zamižati na eno oko, ko se gre za biznis. Feminizem zna bit’ poslu škodljiv. A kot pripadnica ameriške kulture pozna feministični besednjak (npr. spol, plačna vrzel, seksizem, spolno nadlegovanje itd.) in je politično pismena, če ne že politično lačna, saj je zanimanje za politiko prav tako zelo ameriško. Vé, kako se mora vesti in odreagirati na twitterske neslanosti, kampanjski sovražni govor in nagle politične odločitve svojega očeta (tudi zato je njen mož svetovalec njenemu očetu-predsedniku).

Ivanka oddaja avro politične zmernosti in skorajda materinskega razumevanja oz. slepega zaupanja, ki se ga a priori pripisuje materam. To, da se Ivanka tu in tam “znajde” v kabinetu očeta-predsednika in govorice, da naj bi prevzela mesto prve dame, je le dokaz, da politične ambicije z njene strani obstajajo (Ivanka za preDCednico nekoč?) in da trenutna ameriška vlada ne (pri)pozna “navzkrižja interesov”. Kot prava Američanka je elokvetna, kar je posledica ameriške medijske kulture, kjer je javno nastopanje in debatiranje nujno pridobljena veščina iz osnovne šole, kjer je medijska pismenost in spinanje medijev nuja in kjer imajo Hollywood, tisto močno industrijo, ki trosi vrednote ameriške kulture širom sveta. Je tudi družabna, saj njen socialni kapital seže celo do Chelsea Clinton. Da je vajena kamer in nastopanja, je jasno iz njene manekenske kariere in sodelovanja pri očetovem resničnostnem šovu.

Melanija pa je – po drugi strani – vse to, kar Ivanka ni in kar njena ameriška pastorka ne bo nikoli razumela. Zato pa jo bolj razume slovenski narod. Melanija je primer ultra tradicionalne ženskosti: rada je tipi top urejena (lasje, obleka, nohti, make-up), predana je zasebni sferi (tj. domu in prebijanju časa z otrokom) in je v zvezi, kjer je plačna vrzel med zakoncema enormna (tj. ekonomsko je ultra šibkejša od svojega moža).

Izhaja iz nižjega srednjega razreda iz mesteca z manj kot 5000 prebivalci/-kami, ki ji je uspel preboj med elito, a se tam zdaj ne znajde najbolje. Nihče je ni leta in leta pripravljal na vlogo politične žene, zato ne vé najbolje, kako se obrniti pri protokolih, niti ji njen mož ne koristi kaj prida, ker še sam ne vé. Tako kot večino slovenske populacije, je politika ne zanima kaj dosti, zato sta njen odpor do preselitve v Washington, D.C. in opravljanja nalog prve dame morda zgolj odraz njene politične nepismenosti in tujosti, ki jo čuti. Za razliko od Ivanke, politične pismenosti ni pridobila ne v matični družini, zakonski zvezi ali samoiniciativno niti ni to samouveni del slovenske kulture. To, da nima visoke izobrazbe, da je za njo kratka kariera manekenke (zdaj se pojavlja le še kot predsednikova žena), nekaj golih fotografij in govorice, da naj bi bila spremljevalka za plačilo, je irelevantno za strast, ki jo oseba lahko čuti do politike. Tudi javno nastopanje ni zanjo, medijske nastope opravlja z dolžnostjo dobre žene, a jih je težko gledati, saj izhaja iz slovenskega okolja, kjer medijsko pojavljanje in pismenost nista niti običajna niti pomembna.

Tudi digitalno je nevidna, je brez Instagram profila, njen Twitter račun in Facebook stran sta bolj ali manj neaktivna. Deluje kot introvertirana Slovenka, ki ne govori dosti, nekaj malega si misli, a je preveč potrpežljiva in podrejena ponotranjenim spolnim normam, da bi povzdignila glas. Raje se kaže v senci svojega nastopaškega moža, kot da bi jo poslušali/slišali. Ne vé se, kdo tvori njen družabni krog (kdo so njeni/-e prijatelj/-ice, ali ima kaj lastnega socialnega kapitala, ki bi si ga napaberkovala skozi svoje dvajsetletno bivanje v ZDA), liberalna ženska populacija jo vidi kot žrtev intimnega nasilja (po medmrežju kroži #Free Melania) oz. vase zaprto samotarko, kar je za glasne in super družabne Američan/-ke nepojmljivo.

Lahko bi jo slabšalno označili za “trofejko”, tj. oportunistično lepotico, ki omoži bogatega starejšega moškega, a koristoljubje je slovenska lastnost – okoristiti se (na račun nekoga, če je treba) je prej plus kot minus v slovenski skupni zavesti. Je dovolj pismena glede intelektualne lastnine in lastnega potencialnega znamčenja, da ne dovoli, da bi kdorkoli v Sloveniji profitiral na njen račun kot prve dame (ne glede na to, da teh nalog še ne opravlja v popolnosti), saj se njeno ime obravnava kot blagovna znamka. Tu ni sentimentalnosti za rodno grudo, četudi bi jo njena materinska požrtvovalnost lahko označila za arhetip slovenske matere; táko, na katero je sin tesno navezan in ona nanj, táko, ki ves svoj čas preživi s sinom in pri tem resnično uživa. Melanija je slovenska mati, ki bi ji Nace Junkar ali Franjo Bobinac z veseljem zapela.

Zato se je hčeri Ivanki nekaj časa pripisovala vloga prve dame, kar je ob ženi Melaniji, ki je to zmožna in dolžna opravljati, nelogično. Ivanka pač razume ameriški red (in vse podsisteme, ki ga tvorijo), ker je zrasla v in z njim. Melanija ga ne more.

Why is or would be a crazy cat lady (CCL hereinafter) considered dangerous? Let us examine the highlighted words more thoroughly: “elderly”, “widow”, “alone”, “dozens or more cats”, “small house”, “woman”, “middle-aged or older”, “no husband”, “empty lonely void”, “stinky homes”, “white trash”, “loves her cats more than people” and “old lady”.  These words create a person of a certain gender, marital status, age, economic income, mental health and philosophical ethics. By these descriptors, CCL is always (1) a woman, (2) single/unmarried, (3) middle-aged or older, (4) economically disadvantaged, (5) with mental disabilities (e.g. hoarding, social anxiety), (6) lacking in personal hygiene, and (7) bonding with other species (cats) than only humans.

CCL is a slur, a negative and hostile label, directed at women who do not conform (willingly or not) to the dominant societal ways of living which still consist of obligatory coupling with another adult person – most likely of the opposite gender – resulting in formation of a marriage and creation of the nuclear family where animals (i.e. cats) do not occupy a central role in the household. Any deviation from these lifestyle guidelines creates a threat or disturbance to the existing patristic social order where anything or anyone dangerous is sometimes handled as the Other. When Otherness is manifested as a cultural misstep from the expected role – as is the case with CCL – it can be ridiculed and used as a warning to stay within (societal) lines.

The CCL label carries a subtle set of discrimination and stigma, directed at non-conforming women: sexism (only women), heteronormativity (unmarried and childfree), ableism or sanism (“crazy”, hoarder, asocial), ageism (middle-aged or older), classism (poor and dirty) and speciesism (love for cats).

The dimension of sexism in the CCL label is evident in the imposed gendered belief that any cat loving person must be a woman. And while there are no labels describing a cat person who happens to be male as a “crazy cat man” or – when different species are involved as pets – a “crazy dog woman” or a “crazy parrot man”, the relationship between a cat and a woman stays largely devalued.  If a dog is man’s best friend, then a cat can never be appreciated as woman’s significant companion. There are many cultural sources that associate women with cats; for example, “catfight” is pejoratively used term when describing a conflict between women, “catwalk” is a type of fashion walk for female models, “pussy”, a word for a cat, also means vagina, and Catwoman, a female superhero/supervillain, who shares a special bond with cats, can be viewed as human-nonhuman hybrid. But only one cultural image is the most persistent when it comes to single women living with cats – a witch, an archetype of a dangerous woman. Portrayals of witches in the popular culture predominantly included cats as their companions, but this popular depiction is also rooted in the historical data where medieval women were prosecuted as witches and their cats were seen as witches’ helpers. However, today’s CCL is constructed more as a desexualised witch because ageism, or discrimination on the basis of age, does not allow women to be sexual or sexually appealing on their own terms after the age of 50.

Heteronormativity and compulsory coupling, societal notions about heterosexuality and marriage are part of the dominant cultural belief about proper adult identity. A single woman, whose sexuality is also ambiguous due to her singlehood because heteronormative and coupling ideologies does not allow women to be without men, is being pathologized for defying these expectations. These ideologies vilify any manifestation of affection or love that is not directed towards men or offspring. CCL symbolically fills this gap between societal expectations and single women’s living experiences by explaining their solo lifestyles as “odd” or “crazy” because women’s singlehood, non-heterosexualities or non-monogamies are still at odds with patriarchal conceptions about women who view them as useful to them – hetero wives and mothers.

The word “crazy”, still nonchalantly used by most people, is an ableist or sanist slur where its usage is being deployed with humorous intentions. Ableism or discrimination against people with disabilities that also include less visible ones (such as mental illnesses) in this particular syntagm only amplifies the traditional ideas about gender where women are defined as irrational (hence “crazy”). However, by ignorantly linking a certain lifestyle that does not include husband or kids as a mental problem, not only deepens the misconceptions about mental illnesses, but also reinforces the outdated gender ideas about inherently “emotional” women.

Ageism or discrimination, based on someone’s age is also present in the CCL label. A middle-aged woman is seen as useless in the youth-driven and sexist society where any societal benefit of a woman is narrowly viewed through their physical attributes: beauty, youth and reproductive abilities. Once those attributes start to fade away, woman’s value starts to decrease in an androcentric society. CCL can be therefore understood as a non-threatening symbolic depot for middle-aged women with nothing to offer to (patriarchal) society.

Words such as “poor”, “white trash” or “stinky” connote classist attitudes towards older women who are due to the lifelong wage gap more prone to poverty. The symbolic and material aspects of poverty and old age are mostly associated with dirt or bad smell, an abject matter which needs to be eliminated from the visible sight of society and just left alone. “Lonely” is another word that describes CCL, but maybe this loneliness is more of an economic that personal issue.

The last dimension of CCL label is that of speciesism or carnism. A person appreciating and living with cats should be called a cat person, a genderless and de-gendered word, which would merely imply a certain bond with other species than humans. To ridicule any human-nonhuman bonding only reiterate one of the major systems of oppression – carnism; the belief than some animals are allowed to be eaten, others can be held as pets, but none of them should be acknowledged as sentient beings. The more traditional view on women’s caretaking of cats enforces patriarchal ideas about maternal transference from non-existing humans to cats in need. But this notion conflates CCL’s caretaking with mothering and it reproduces traditional gender roles that associate women with caretaking or mothering as their nurtural calling.

The CCL label therefore represents a dangerous downfall for women, something that must be avoided at any price, a pitiful lifestyle that was driven by bad choices or a lack of (self-) control over woman’s life. CCL is a patriarchal warning sign to single women who are still young/ish and love animals (cats in particular) to abandon those solo lifestyles because they lead to the worst case scenarios for women – to be alone, mentally disabled, poor, societally overlooked and invisible. It is a tool of shaming or a disciplinary strategy for women whose personal choice, identity or social circumstances do not co-align with the current demands of marriage, motherhood, heteronormativity, age-appropriateness, middle-class mind-set, mental health disposition and/or philosophical ethics.

But what is an internalized sexism or misogyny? It is not hard to imagine that if the society is sexist, women won’t pick up or internalise those attitudes and definitions about their own gender on the basis of those beliefs. Internalized sexism happens when a woman is using the same sexist attitudes and beliefs about her gender towards herself and other women. Any woman can be subjected to sexist attitudes from two different sources: the opposite (e.g. men) and the same gender (e.g. women), so being a woman is like being caught between Scylla and Charybdis.

Reasons, which contribute to internalized sexism, are:

• A rule of hegemonic masculinity that is invisibly present and perpetuated on every level of Western society. Anything other than male/masculine is Othered – silenced, devalued and ignored. Women, as de Beauvoir has stated many moons ago, are Other by default, but gender intersects with other social factors, such are race, class, ability, sexuality; under the umbrella of Other can therefore fall low-wage people, trans persons, black, LGB+, people with disabilities etc. However, being a woman in a world of hegemonic masculinity is not a powerful social position.
• The lack of (women’s) power results in devaluation of femininity from any gender. Anything that is culturally conditioned and linked with femininity – for example colour pink, make-up, duckface, selfies, narcissism, frivolity, nipples, menstruation, sexual agency (or to put it more simple – women wanting sex and being slut-shamed for that), servile professions (low income, status and prestige, so-called feminized professions – waitressing), sex work (pornography, prostitution), entertainment (pop singers, dancers), self-care – is being perceived as not “serious” or “essential”. However, any woman who is transgressive from what is considered “proper femininity” (e.g. academic professions – women are still being perceived as second-class academics, having leadership skills, feminist values, being a cat lover, gender bending or sexually fluid), is also being subjected to same-sexist monitoring.
• Capitalism encourages competition and women are more than welcome to compete with each other in the “feminine areas” – fashion, beauty, fight for heterosexual men. The hybrid of allowed competitiveness and beauty is showcased in beauty pageants, where merely physical attributes of a woman are judged.

How is internalized sexism cultivated and perpetuated? Through external sources, such are early socialisation (learning of gender roles – boys like blue/are trustworthy, girls like pink/are flaky), media and advertising (women are either passive or evil/active characters); perceptions of women are being stereotyped and hence seen as less powerful. If women are perceived as “powerless”, then no wo/man wants to identify with powerlessness. Even though the latter is a result of an uneven power struggle, what is perceived as “powerful” is still associated with masculinity – rationality, emotional distance, physical strength, wealth etc.

How is internalized sexism manifested? Women, who have internalized sexism, suffer from self-hate, alienation from themselves and others, hate other women  sometimes just for being different (Othered for that matter – childfree women, educated women) and hence unrelatable, they do not believe/trust women, discredit them professionally, attack them personally, use victim-blaming strategies to shame women and unnecessary critique, they minimize the value of women, do not employ women, create hostile working environments, engage in passive aggression, but most importantly, believe in gender bias in favour of men. Sexist women rarely question or criticize the authority of men, their actions or behaviours or gender order of hegemonic masculinity in general. This deliberate gender blindness is just another aspect of their internalized sexism.

What to do? Firstly, this pattern has to be recognized and then deliberately unlearned. Internalized sexism is harmful to all women, because it positions them as primarily guilty until (or if) proven innocent. No woman should ever be put into a position to endlessly and constantly defend herself for being a woman.

To point out someone’s flaws is a weapon of microaggression and policing against someone’s personhood that does not live up to be flawless (or perfect). When a person has failed at something and is therefore self-defined and societally defined as “incompetent”, “improper” or “inadequate”, he/she/they are comprehended as a small-scale failure. Even a small-scale failure, manifested as a flaw, is not allowed in Western (although pluralistic) society, which is constantly striving for success and perfection.

Flaws can be found everywhere, because everyone’s a critic and interpersonal criticism, based on someone’s body shape, size, behaviour or taste is a self-perpetuating machine that disciplines the ones who criticize (people with internalised disciplinary regimes) and those who are criticized (people who have not yet internalised them). Flaws can be bodily-, behaviour- or fashion/art-related, but their denominator is taste or the lack of it. Taste, as Pierre Bourdieu (1984) has stated, is a cross-breed of the socio-economic (money and other monetary belongings) and cultural capital (education and social origin) and those with high amounts of both capitals are trendsetters; they define what is tasteful and what is not. A flaw is therefore a lack of taste or even worse, a bad taste that carries a classist implication – those with no money and/or education are tasteless and cannot possess impeccable taste. Otherwise, they are flawed by default.

Flaws that are bodily-related differ from the tasteful conception of how male or female body should appear in public. Scars on the body are not aesthetic and should be corrected with the help of cosmetic surgery. Boldness, shortness, man boobs and excessive body hair on men’s bodies are a sign of men’s unfamiliarity with “normal” beauty regimes for men, because being bold, short or hairy is unappealing for women and straight men, but not necessarily for gay men. Women’s bodies are framed as flawed by default (size, age, body hair, aesthetic merits and skin colour), so the highlighting of women’s bodily flaws is not needed.

Behavioural flaws are much more embedded in the gender ideology and sexism. Derogatory name-calling, such are slut, bitch, sissy, cry-baby or crazy cat lady just reaffirm that certain behaviours, mostly connected with women’s sexuality, outspokenness, men’s gender identity and singleness are considered bad because they deviate from the traditional gender arrangements (e.g. silent women and hyper masculine men).

dr. Eleanor Abernathy or “Crazy Cat Lady” (The Simpsons) Credits: Fox Channel

Fashion’s faux pas are most ridiculed flaws. Examples of “no fashion taste”: wearing (white) socks with sandals or crocs, men in feminine clothing or high heels are mocked, women without bras with visible nipples and outlining of breasts are shameful, older women who do not wear age-appropriate clothing are regarded as caricatures, showing camel toe is distasteful, wearing too much make-up is trashy, those who take pleasure in kitsch (without irony) are the uneducated “cattle” of consumers and sporting black natural hair is still viewed as unkempt. The racist and sexist implications of the latter are obvious.

Despite the fact that the dominant definition of taste is practically maintaining and reproducing itself via ideological apparatuses (e.g. family, education system, culture, media, religion), we share this dominant concept (e.g. being a cultural snob and Othering anyone who lacks any type of capital – cultural, economic, social, symbolic) up until deliberately deconstructing and defying it, because we did not create it. By being aware of being flawed (a person is culturally clueless/naive or culturally advanced/rebellious), flaws can be culturally re-written and filled with different meanings instead with those that degrade them.

One of the options is reappropriation, a linguistic and cultural process, when an existing word or label is being cleansed of its negative or unpopular connotations (for example: geek, queer, fat, crazy cat lady) by taking the standpoint of that label and reappropriate it (“take the negative meaning and change it into neutral or positive”). A person, whom society has been describing with negative evaluations, can show her/his/their power by rejecting the presumed meaning and transform it into empowering one, which is possible because words and labels are socially constructed. This only exposes the notion that meaning of the label can be challenged, and that what is considered to be negative or a flaw is not a “bad thing” and that challenging negative labels by positively reappropriating them exposes the subtle forms of discrimination (or microaggressions) to become visible and furthermore, addressable.

Here is an example of reappropriating the label “crazy cat lady”. The dominant definitions via Urban Dictionary describe crazy cat lady as “An elderly suburban widow, who lives alone and keeps dozens or more pet cats, usually many more than municipal code allows, in a small house, and refuses to give away or sell them even for the sake of the safety of the cats or herself”, “a woman, usually middle-aged or older, who lives alone with no husband or boyfriend, and fills the empty lonely void in her life with as many cats as she can collect in one place. Their homes are usually very stinky and the aforementioned woman may also very likely be white trash”, “A woman who loves her cats more than people”, “That old lady that lives down the street from you that has over a dozen cats named after each of her ex-boyfriends that have done her wrong”.

Being called crazy cat lady (CCL) is a negative and hostile label that is directed against women, who do not take part (willingly or not) in the heteronormative and speciest lifestyle. CCL is always (1) a woman (2) single/unmarried, (3) lonely by default, (4) middle-aged and older (5) with mental issues (hoarding), (6) lacking in personal hygiene, (7) economically disadvantaged and (8) loving cats. The label carries several different aspects that stigmatize CCL: sexism (only women), heteronormativity (unmarried and childfree), ableism (“crazy”, asocial), ageism (middle-aged and older), lookism (unkempt and dirty), classism (poor) and speciesism (love for cats). CCL is a patriarchal warning sign to those women who are single, still young and love animals (cats in particular), because it projects the worst case scenario for women on how to spend their lives. I can think of several scenarios that surpass being a CCL: unemployment, sexual assault, homelessness and refugeeism. CCL can also be a postmodern and desexualised version of the medieval witch – an old woman, who is living alone with cats.

To reappropriate the CCL label, individuals must identify with the label that will be socially recreated from the negative to the positive. When this occurs and the negativity of CCL has been addressed, the negative meaning starts to weaken and is in the case of CCL replaced with irony, wit and genuine (e.g. non-anthropocentric) appreciation of cats. The group identity for cat-loving persons is now easily established via social media due to its ability to distribute and produce any counter-discourse against the dominant one.

Credits: Gemma Correll

CCL is becoming an empowering, self-referential and even self-mocking part of someone’s social identity. Big part of reappropriating CCL is via art, mostly done by women artists, and fashion that vocally express this “flaw”.

Cat Meditation

So, go with the flaw. Love cats.

The term “Smurfette principle” was coined by an American journalist Katha Pollitt in 1991, when she was analysing children’s programmes on television which led to the conclusion of children’s shows being highly gendered (“Boys are the norm, girls the variation; boys are central, girls peripheral; boys are individuals, girls types. Boys define the group, its story and its code of values. Girls exist only in relation to boys”, she stated). The Smurfette principle, named after The Smurfs and their living arrangement (one woman – plenty of men), describes a situation where “a group of male buddies are accompanied by a lone female, (usually) stereotypically defined.” However, a “Smurfette” can also be an exceptional (and only) woman in a man’s world, for example, the only woman in a company’s boardroom or the only credible female character among men in a film. When just one person of an underrepresented group is included in the otherwise gender-homogeneous environment, that one person is a token. Tokenism as a practice of how minorities should be included only imitates equality, because it usually accepts only one outstanding individual and not a group of average ones.

The Smurfette principle, used in the cinematic surrounding, is not a monolithic trope; it is an adaptable one, depended on its context. In the television or film storyline, the “chosen” woman can be either (1) a part of the all-male team; (2) a lonely antagonist against the male team or (3) a decorative and unessential-to-the-story sidekick, created to dilute the possible homoerotic subtext of the narrative.

The “one of the guys” version appears in films, such are Gone in Sixty Seconds (Angelina Jolie/Sway), Inception (Ellen Page/Ariadne), Ocean’s 11 (Julia Roberts/Tess Ocean), The Imitation Game (Keira Knightley/Joan Clarke), Flatliners (Julia Roberts/Rachel Manus) and Michael Clayton (Tilda Swinton/Karen Crowder). Sway, Ariadne, Tess Ocean, Joan Clarke, Rachel Manus and Karen Crowder are the only women, allowed to be in the all-male ensemble and they function as antisexist tokens. The TV sitcom Seinfeld had this syndrome, too – Elaine Baines (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) was the only woman in the cast.

Seinfeld cast (Credits: NBC)

The reversed type of the Smurfette principle is a lonely female antagonist, set against the male team, which treats her as a threat. This trope can be found in film characters; such are Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in Alien 3), Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises), Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club), Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone in Casino), Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams in Sherlock Holmes) and The Lady (Sharon Stone in The Quick and the Dead). Jodie Foster was quite often cast as a proponent of this cinematic trope; she was dr. Eleanor Arroway in Contact, Annabelle Bransford in Maverick and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. All those characters were outsiders for not fitting into the masculine concept of good (or domesticated) femininity; they were lone warriors for justice or truth (Ripley, The Lady, Eleanor and Clarice) or self-reliant grifters (Selina, Marla, Irene, Ginger and Annabelle).

Jodie Foster in Contact (Credits: Warner Bros.)

The last version of the Smurfette trope is an unessential sidekick, who is introduced into the homosocial storyline only to remove any potential homoerotic subtexts. These are some of the examples: Skylar (Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting), Miss Piggy in The Muppet Show and Penny (Kaley Cuoco in The Big Bang Theory).

However, the image of the only woman among men was predominantly present in the 90s alternative and rock music (pop music is considered to be too “feminine”), where she would usually be a front(wo)man (i.e. singer), but less often a band founder or a leader. The “one-woman-in-all-men-band” trope is also a variable principle of femininity that must be aligned with the band’s masculine vision of how to represent themselves as unique artists, but also how to be appealing to the public (media, consumers and record labels). The visual appearance of the only woman in a man band still upholds the common signifiers of femininity (e.g. beautiful face, thin body, young/ish, embellished clothing, creative fashion choices), but it is done with an alternative twist to fit into the masculine conception of rock performance. Here are some illustrations of alternative femininities within one-woman-in-all-male-band contexts.

Garbage’s Shirley Manson sported an edgy alternative beauty, No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani was a blonde, stylish femme-tomboy and Skunk Anansie’s Skin was presented as a black androgynous handsomeness, while The Cardigan’s Nina Persson embodied a blonde fragile femininity. Sonic Youth’s bassist/singer Kim Gordon shared the same blond coolness with Smashing Pumpkin’s bassist D’arcy Wretzky, while The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan and Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri were symbols of casual androgyny. Katrina and the Waves’ Katrina Leskanich exhibited the queer femininity, Joan Jett and the Black Hearts’ Joan Jett toyed herself with the femme-masculine brashness, while Sade’s Sade Adu exuded the modelesque beauty. Blondie’s Debbie Harry was synonymous for what a sensual and daring blonde should behave and look like, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O radiates an artistic aloofness and Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic campy seductiveness is hidden in her stage persona, while The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde was just all about her ambivalent coolness.

The Pretenders (Credits: Rolling Stone)

Regardless of its location (entertainment, politics or every-day life), the main problem with the Smurfette principle  is that it reinforces the idea that there is only enough room for one (exceptional) woman to be engaging and profiting from male (or female) professions which leads to the misguided belief of who the enemy is. Well, it is not anOther woman.