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Start Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
End Date
23-6-2022 12:00 AM
Abstract
Abstract of the Documentary/Video Essay:
Ula Stöckl: German Feminist Filmmaker
My documentary centers on the German feminist filmmaker, Ula Stöckl, who was part of the New German Cinema movement (1962-1982) and made what is considered to be the first feminist film in Germany. As the first woman to be accepted at Germany’s institute for filmmaking, Stöckl blazed a path for women in the German film industry, making films that promoted women’s freedom to speak for themselves, choose their own path, and be open and comfortable with their gender and sexuality. Her 1968 film, The Cat Has Nine Lives, gives insights into the experiences of women at the time as they were beginning to revolt against austere traditional social standards and the restrictive laws of a conservative government that until 1977 enforced that married women could not work without the permission of their husbands. As a hands-on filmmaker, Stöckl has been involved in all aspects of the production of her films, in many ways because she had no choice, as she watched her male counterparts receive most of the funding and accolades for their films. Despite the many challenges she faced, Stöckl persevered with determination, making history, and winning the Deutschen Filmpreis (Germany’s most prestigious film award) in 1985.
The documentary looks at Stöckl’s life, her career as a filmmaker, and the contributions she’s made to film as an art form and mode of social commentary; in it she discusses her themes, process, and struggles as a female director in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Stöckl’s works are important to the genre of women’s films for their ambitious feminist content, unapologetic social critique of patriarchal norms, and for instigating the genre of feminist films in Germany. Even though Stöckl has received some recognition for her films, there is currently little documentation about her and her work. However, her experiences as a film director are an important addition to the history and understanding of women in film, and therefore, this documentary seeks to bring to light this tectonic female filmmaker, and the contributions she’s made to the genre of films made by women and about women.
Format: Digital Video
Length: 26 minutes
URL of trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwgSx7fyeg
Ula Stöckl: Germany's First Feminist Filmmaker
Abstract of the Documentary/Video Essay:
Ula Stöckl: German Feminist Filmmaker
My documentary centers on the German feminist filmmaker, Ula Stöckl, who was part of the New German Cinema movement (1962-1982) and made what is considered to be the first feminist film in Germany. As the first woman to be accepted at Germany’s institute for filmmaking, Stöckl blazed a path for women in the German film industry, making films that promoted women’s freedom to speak for themselves, choose their own path, and be open and comfortable with their gender and sexuality. Her 1968 film, The Cat Has Nine Lives, gives insights into the experiences of women at the time as they were beginning to revolt against austere traditional social standards and the restrictive laws of a conservative government that until 1977 enforced that married women could not work without the permission of their husbands. As a hands-on filmmaker, Stöckl has been involved in all aspects of the production of her films, in many ways because she had no choice, as she watched her male counterparts receive most of the funding and accolades for their films. Despite the many challenges she faced, Stöckl persevered with determination, making history, and winning the Deutschen Filmpreis (Germany’s most prestigious film award) in 1985.
The documentary looks at Stöckl’s life, her career as a filmmaker, and the contributions she’s made to film as an art form and mode of social commentary; in it she discusses her themes, process, and struggles as a female director in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Stöckl’s works are important to the genre of women’s films for their ambitious feminist content, unapologetic social critique of patriarchal norms, and for instigating the genre of feminist films in Germany. Even though Stöckl has received some recognition for her films, there is currently little documentation about her and her work. However, her experiences as a film director are an important addition to the history and understanding of women in film, and therefore, this documentary seeks to bring to light this tectonic female filmmaker, and the contributions she’s made to the genre of films made by women and about women.
Format: Digital Video
Length: 26 minutes
URL of trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwgSx7fyeg
Bio
Rachel Braaten is a Humanities and Film Studies professor at Seminole State College of Florida. In addition to teaching, she has worked in the film and television industries, and has been a programmer for the Florida Film Festival, serving on the international features and documentary film committees. She holds a B.A. from St. Olaf College, an M.A. from the University of St. Thomas, and a PhD in Texts & Technology from the University of Central Florida. She is the co-author of The Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema, second edition, 2020 by Rowman and Littlefield.