THE WOMAN'S FILM GENRE: TOWARDS REVOLUTIONARY INTERVENTION FOR FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN CINEMA

Abstract

Sequel to the incessant cries of feminist writers and critics (especially feminist film critics) against the negative portrayals by male writers, directors and producers, some critics have proposed an alternative to women's representation and gender profiling in films under the nomenclature "the woman's film" or "women's cinema." The phrase "women's cinema" is explained by Mayne (1990: 2) as "films made by women, and by women directors for the most part (as opposed, say to screenwriters or actresses)." Thus the woman's film serves as an alternative to the negative mode of women's representation in films made by male filmmakers. This article examines the various ways in which women have been negatively portrayed in cinema, both within and outside Nigeria, emphasising the need for feminist filmmakers in Nollywood to experiment with the woman's film and help re-orientate the minds of the audience towards the potentials and attributes of the woman as an agent of social change and not an object of male visual pleasure as is currently the case.