Trailblazers and Warriors: an Intersectional Feminist Film Club

Hello! And thank you for checking out The Feminist Film Club! The FFC is a warm and welcoming group of young film-lovers who are always excited to welcome new members. This club was established in Summer 2020 in the hopes of providing a fun and supportive community for young people interested in film and feminism to meet virtually once a week to alleviate pandemic anxieties and have a dedicated time to relax, meet with new friends, and talk pop culture. Our first club was so fun that we have kept it going ever since. This list includes a fresh lineup of films to explore.

Discussions are led by me—hi, I’m Frances! I’m a Canadian graduate student who researches feminism and film. Each week I kick off the meeting with some fun movie trivia after which each member shares their rating of the film of the week (in week 12 we’ll look back at all the films to see what which ones we enjoyed the most). I prepare slides for each meeting, so don’t worry about having to remember all of the small details of the films, there will be lots of images and discussion questions there to spark conversation. 

The FFC is currently made up of friendly members living across Canada and America. We can’t wait to welcome in some new pals who love talking about movies, pop culture, and social justice. 

We watch movies from a variety of genres, countries, cultures, languages, and historical eras (check out the upcoming film list below). Most of our films highlight the voices of girls, women, and LGBTQ+ folks, but sometimes we throw in some movies that depict healthy cinematic representations of masculinity. No background knowledge is required for this club! So whether you are total film club newbie, or a complete cinephile, you’ll fit right in.

This club is a great place for:

- film-lovers of all gender identities and nationalities
- LGBTQ2S+ kids and allies
- young feminists 
- those looking to make new friends with similar interests
- Creative kids (we throw in the occasional movie-inspired DIY)
- kids who love, or are curious about, discussion-based learning

We can’t wait for you to join our club and hear all of your incredible thoughts on film. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. 

NEW! This session of FFC will run for 70 mins instead of 55 mins. We seem to always run out of time in club to share our ideas so I’m adding on some extra time to chat (the price remains the same as before per meeting). If you need to leave after the first hour, no problem at all just let me know in class  

Below is a list of the films that we will be watching together as well as the themes we will be exploring each week.

Week One: Brief Intros and Short Film (try to remember to watch these films before our meeting; we’ll be able to watch one open-access short film together during our meeting in case you were unable to watch any beforehand)
Films: 
1: Canvas (rated G, 2020, avail. on Netflix)
2: Sitara: Let Girls Dream (PG, 2020, available on Netflix)
3: Lorena, Light-Footed Woman (G, 2019, available on Netflix)
Short Synopses: 
Canvas: After a heartbreaking loss, a grandfather struggling to reclaim his passion for painting finds the inspiration to create again.
Sitara, Let Girls Dream: A 14-year-old girl dreams of becoming a pilot in Pakistan.
Lorena, Light-Footed Woman: A short documentary that follows the inspiring story of Lorena, a long-distance runner from Mexico.
Themes: We’ll learn a brief history of the short film genre. We’ll discuss how the filmmakers created such impactful films in such a small amount of screen time. We’ll discuss the three stories from America, Pakistan, and Mexico to examine how the lives of these girls and their struggles are unique. 

Week Two: Persepolis (2007) 
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.
Themes: This incredibly moving and beautiful film offers a glimpse into the life of a girl named Marjane who grew up for much of her life in Iran. We will learn some of the background history to understand the context of this story. We’ll also take a look at some of the original drawings from the graphic novel that inspired the film. The original graphic novel is a great accompaniment to this club. If it’s possible to lend a copy from your library, it’s a fantastic read and only makes the film better because of the ways in which the art in the book was depicted to accurately in the film.

Week Three: Cruella (2021) Available on Disney+
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: A live action prequel to the Disney classic 101 Dalmatians.
Themes: An evil woman villain as the star of a film!? Exciting! This week we’ll delve into a brief history of the ways in which women are often depicted as evil in film. We’ll talk about the ways Cruella complicates, and even challenges, these depictions of villainous women.
**This is an arts and crafts week!** In addition to our discussion, we’ll also make a craft inspired by the film. Please bring your preferred art supplies to class (paper, pencils, markers, paints, collage, digital, or whatever you enjoy working with the most)

Week Four: Jane (2017) Available on Disney+
Rating: PG
Synopsis: A biographical documentary about Jane Goodall that explores her career, activism, and family life.
Themes: Jane Goodall is a scientist all young people should grow up knowing about. We will start out by learning about the documentary genre. We’ll reflect on different moments of Jane’s life and legacy and her tremendous gift of communicating with animals. 

Week Five: Funny Girl (1968) Available on Netflix
Rating: G
Synopsis: Follows the life of the 1930s comedienne Fannie Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of New York, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies.
Themes: Funny Girl is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time by fans and critics alike. We’ll examine how monumentally important this movie was for the Jewish community, particularly for Jewish women. Settle in with some snacks for this one! (Or break it up into two sittings)—Funny Girl’s runtime is just over 2.5 hours. 	

Week Six: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Available on Disney+
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Raya, a warrior, sets out to track down Sisu, a dragon, who transferred all her powers into a magical gem which is now scattered all over the kingdom of Kumandra, dividing its people.
Themes: An incredible story of strength, wit, and perseverance. We’ll discuss the ways in which Raya has broken ground in showing how successful films that star powerful female characters can be. We’ll discuss how Raya and the Last Dragon provides a fantastic glimpse into the future of Disney/Pixar Studios films that star girls. We’ll discuss how this film has opened up endless possibilities of films that will showcase the stories of girls that do not revolve around romance and marriage. 

Week Seven: Whip It (2009) Available to rent on YouTube and Prime (check local library and streaming services to see if they have it as well)
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Bliss is a 17-year-old whose mother wants her to win pageants while she has found her true passion in women's roller derby. While Bliss trains for a league event, her mother dreams a different dream.
Themes: We’ll learn the history of roller derby. We’ll look at how roller derby has been a feminist movement in its own right. We’ll also read Elliot Page’s recent coming out post about identifying as trans and we’ll talk about the lack of representation of trans people in film and Hollywood. 

Week Eight: Fly Like a Girl (2020) Available on Hulu or to rent on YouTube 
Rating: Not rated but appropriate for all ages
Synopsis: A group of young girls and women relentlessly pursue their passion for aviation, a field currently dominated by men.
Themes: This inspiring documentary film provides deep insight into the lives of women in the science. We’ll talk about the ways in which girls and women are following their dreams to pursue careers in the sciences and how their stories can help us to take charge of our own dreams. 

Week Nine: Onward (2020) Available on Disney+
Rating: PG
Synopsis: In a magical realm where technological advances have taken over, Ian and Barley, two elven brothers, set out on an epic adventure to resurrect their late father for a day.
Themes: This week’s film doesn’t star any girls or women at its centre, but it does focus on a gentle form of masculinity that we don’t get to see very often onscreen. We’ll talk about the stereotypes that male characters often fall into and we’ll examine how Onward challenges these stereotypes is a wonderful and whimsical way. This film also features Disney’s first every LGBTQ+ character!

Week Ten: Hanna (2011) Note: be sure to watch the feature film version of Hanna and not the series with the same name. Available on Prime or to rent on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and more.
Rating: PG-13 (for some violence)
Synopsis: Hanna Heller, a 16-year-old raised to be the perfect assassin, is sent on a mission, which takes her across Europe. She is shadowed by an intelligence agent and her team.
Themes: This is an action-packed film with an incredible female lead that we so often to not get to see in the action and adventure genres. We’ll explore how girlhood is used as a superpower in this movie and we’ll take a look at the complex fighting choreography that actress Saoirse Ronan had to learn for this role. We’ll also discuss the incredible set design and learn about the infamous and abandoned amusement park in Berlin called Spree Park.  

Week Eleven: Song of the Sea (2014) Available on Apple TV or to rent on YouTube, Cineplex, etc. Coming to Netflix soon (date TBD), so please check to see if it is available on Netflix in your country. 
Rating: PG
Synopsis: The last of a magical race of seals that become human on dry land, Saoirse and her brother must return to the sea in this animated adventure. 
Themes: This powerful animated film is not only beautiful to watch, but also leaves you feeling empowered and uplifted. We’ll talk about the incredible animation, music, and storyline and we’ll have the chance to explore some Irish mythology along the way.
**This is an arts and crafts week!** In addition to our discussion, we’ll also make a craft inspired by the movie of the week. Please bring your preferred art supplies to class (paper, pencils, markers, paints, collage, digital, or whatever you enjoy working with the most)

Week Twelve: Belle (2013) Available on Disney+, Crave, and Starz
Rating: PG
Synopsis: The illegitimate daughter (Belle) of a navy admiral is trained and brought up by her aristocratic uncle and his wife. She grows up to abolish slavery in England. 
Themes: We’ll learn about the incredible true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-raced British Heiress who was born into slavery. We’ll look at the ways in which mixed-raced people were treated as second-class citizens and we’ll talk about how Belle—despite being a member of the British aristocratic system— faced an incredible amount of racism and prejudice that her white family members did not face. We’ll also examine historical paintings from the time that feature Belle and her cousin, Lady Elizabeth Murray.

Note for parents: The ratings for each movie have been included in the list. For a detailed breakdown of each film’s content (e.g. curse words, violence, smoking, etc.) Common Sense Media is an incredible resource that is available for free (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/). I choose films that are age appropriate and approved by other OutSchool parents, however if there happens to be a film that you think is too mature for your child, please reach out and I am happy to find a replacement for that week. I am also always on the hunt for great movies to add to future clubs, so please feel free to send me any suggestions of films you’d love for your child to watch.