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Feminists: What Were They Thinking?

Feminists: What Were They Thinking?

2018

Director

Johanna Demetrakas

Runtime

86 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

In 1977, a book of photographs captured an awakening - women shedding the cultural restrictions of their childhoods and embracing their full humanity. This documentary revisits those photos, those women and those times and takes aim at our culture today that alarmingly shows the need for continued change.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

8.3/10

Excellent


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Excellent

The film explores the friction between mainstream feminism and queer identities. It examines historical tensions between lesbian visibility and traditional organizing, disrupting the idea of a monolithic female experience.

Gender Representation

Excellent

This documentary subverts traditional gender hierarchies by analyzing the shift from domestic subordination to professional agency. It emphasizes women's intellectual power and deconstructs patriarchal leadership structures.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Excellent

The narrative excels in intersectionality by featuring voices like bell hooks and Alice Walker. It critiques the tendency of mainstream movements to center white, middle-class perspectives.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

The film critiques how organized religion and the nuclear family have historically enforced gendered subordination. It views these traditional social structures through a lens of institutional oppression.

Disability Representation

Fair

Representation of disability is present but lacks the central narrative weight seen in other categories. The focus remains primarily on sociopolitical identity and agency rather than specific physical or neurodivergent experiences.

Strengths

  • Exceptional use of intersectional storytelling to challenge social hierarchies.
  • Strong engagement with racial diversity through prominent voices like bell hooks.
  • Sophisticated examination of the relationship between queer identities and feminist movements.
  • Effective deconstruction of traditional gender roles and patriarchal structures.

Areas for Improvement

  • Disability representation lacks the central narrative weight found in other categories.
  • The analytical focus leans more toward sociopolitical identity than specific physical or neurodivergent experiences.

AI Analysis

Johanna Demetrakas delivers a sophisticated, intersectional documentary that uses archival photography to bridge historical liberation movements with contemporary social structures. The film moves beyond simple inclusion, offering a systemic analysis of how identity, race, and gender intersect to challenge conventional hierarchies. The work is particularly strong in its engagement with racial and gendered power dynamics. By centering voices like Alice Walker and bell hooks, it avoids the trap of centering only white, middle-class perspectives, providing a necessary critique of racialized power within feminism. While the film is a powerhouse regarding gender and racial intersectionality, it offers less depth regarding disability. The narrative prioritizes sociopolitical agency over specific neurodivergent or physical disability narratives, making it a specialized study of systemic social evolution.

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Diversity score: 8.2 out of 10

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