The Place of the Contemporary Female Director

The contributors to this special issue of Camera Obscura explore female directors—their work and their “director image”—within shifting categories of culture, industry, and criticism. One author analyzes transnational cooperation in relation to queer Asian cinema and the short film format. Another considers the relationship between the New Russian Cinema and youth television through the films of Valeria Gai Germanika. Other topics addressed include indigenous filmmaking, the American commercial-independent sector, and the female director in popular European cinema. Directors under discussion also include Susanne Bier, Nicole Holofcener, Lisa Cholodenko, and Darlene Johnson.

Contributors: Jodi Brooks, Therese Davis, Olivia Khoo, Claire Perkins, Belinda Smaill, Julia Vassilieva, Patricia White

Belinda Smaill is Senior Lecturer in Film and Television Studies at Monash University, where Therese Davis is Head of the Film and Television Studies Department.