Filminism and the Body: Sex Work, Agency, and Boundaries In Film
SPRING 2022 SYMPOSIUM
About the Program
Filminism and the Body: Sex Work, Agency, and Boundaries in Film is a 2 day event presented by the Intersectional Media Lab at UNC Wilmington. Through screenings and roundtable discussions, scholars, filmmakers, and intimacy coordinators will discuss the politics of queer and womxn representation in filmmaking, sex work, and creating safe spaces on set when shooting with material that involves nudity, sexual intimacy, LGBTQ+ issues, sexual violence, and other sensitive material.
Cinémathèque Screening Series
Thursday, April 7 (in person)
King Hall 101, 6:00 p.m.
Leaving Charlie (2018)
Made by a crew of 40 womxn & GNC individuals, Leaving Charlie is a short narrative film that follows a young queer woman as she discovers and re-evaluates her boundaries in life and in her job as a stripper. (Note: Features a scene that depicts sexual assault)
Runtime: 15min
Directed by Andi Avery
échappé (2020)
When presented with the opportunity to be cast in a lead role, an aging dancer must determine if her personal integrity outweighs her professional ambitions after experiencing a choreographer's unwanted sexual advances.
Runtime: 17min
Directed by: Rebecca Walters
La Fiancée du pirate (A Very Curious Girl) (1969)
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
A determined and innovative Romani woman, Marie (Bernadette Lafont), begins charging the men who exploit her for sexual favors after her mother’s death, completely disrupting the oppressive society of her remote village.
Runtime: 1hr47
Directed by: Nelly Kaplan
Symposium
Friday, April 8 (online)
Introduction - Prof. Stefani Byrd, Director of the Intersectional Feminist Media Lab, 12:30PM
Personal Boundaries, Agency, and Intimacy in échappé & Leaving Charlie, 1:00PM
Rebecca Walters & Andi Avery in Discussion, Moderated by Prof. Kate Hinshaw (1hr). In this discussion, issues related to personal safety, power, and agency of the female and queer body in both films are discussed.
Intimacy Coordination: Creating Safety on Set - Kristina Arjona (1hr), 2:15PM
The role of an Intimacy Coordinator is to create a safe production process with material that involves nudity, sexual intimacy, LGBTQ+ issues, sexual violence, and other sensitive material. Kristina Arjona will discuss her process from pre-production to post to bring the director’s vision to life while maintaining a positive and safe work environment for everyone involved.
Roundtable Talk - Kristina Arjona, Andi Avery, and Rebecca Walters, Moderated by MA Candidate Anya Ekaterina (1 hr), 3:30 - 4:30 PM
In this discussion, panel attendees will have an open discussion about the unique challenges in creating safety for female and queer bodies, depicting a more complex and empowered agency in relation to female sexuality, and how to combat unhealthy dynamics of power in relation to gender identity. Speakers will also discuss their careers in the media industry.
Closing / Wrap Up, 4:30PM
*Leaving Charlie and échappé will be made available online to virtual participants