{"id":2256,"date":"2016-03-15T10:03:45","date_gmt":"2016-03-15T10:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/bge\/?p=2256"},"modified":"2016-03-15T10:03:45","modified_gmt":"2016-03-15T10:03:45","slug":"feminist-critique-come-on-film-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/bge\/2016\/03\/15\/feminist-critique-come-on-film-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cFeminist Critique: Come On Film Industry!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"march<\/p>\n

Rev. Cathy Kaminski is the lead pastor of Trinity Community Church in Cincinnati, OH. Before being called into ministry she received a Bachelor of Science in Film & Television from Boston University. She loves movies, but wishes the industry could be better. And she\u2019ll keep fighting for that reality.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes that movie pass the Bechdel test?\u201d my professor asked.<\/p>\n

The what? Blank stares from the hordes of freshmen taking Film 101.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bechdel test. It\u2019s simple really. Only three criteria: 1) have more than one female character, 2) have the two characters talk to each other at some point in the movie, and 3) is their conversation something other than a discussion about the male characters?\u201d<\/p>\n

More blank stares. I\u2019m not sure how many of us had ever looked at a movie this way. I mean, that\u2019s ridiculous, of course a movie would have more than two females\u2026and talk to each other\u2026and discuss something other than men\u2026right?<\/p>\n

I have always loved movies. Cheesy, mainstream, arthouse, it didn\u2019t matter to me. I love the way all films, no matter the genre have the capacity to make me think and point me to God. I strongly believe that all artistic expression has the potential to reveal our imago Dei, (our core nature and identity as image bearers of God). Pain, joy, suffering, resilience, conflict, reconciliation, brokenness, triumph, these are elements of any good story. Good stories reflect the human journey and thus reflect our Creator.<\/p>\n

Yet, from the moment my professor posed this simple question I began to look at movies in a new light. Is there a disproportional amount of mainstream movies told through the lens of the male viewpoint? And if so, what is the effect? Our Creator formed a beautifully diverse people and when we tell stories through one point of view, we miss out. Not only that, but it reduces the \u201cother\u201d to flat, foil characters whom only serve to propel the male story forward. And this isn\u2019t just a male\/female bias, sadly people of color and minorities are also marginalized in this capacity. And I believe we can do better.<\/p>\n

Recently I watched the movie Risen,<\/p>\n