MWFF MICRO FILMS
FILM ONE:
FILM TWO:
FILM THREE:
PROMPT 2
Producer and filmmaker, Diana Fisk, entered the Australian film industry in 2017, and has since grounded her career in creating projects which focus on human connection and social change. Primarily working within documentary, a genre which “frequently possesses an activist orientation” (French, 2019, para. 3), Diana’s films explore social and cultural issues in a meaningful manner – which Lisa French observes to be a more common inclination amongst female documentary filmmakers (2019).
A range of Diana’s works focus on women’s rights, and it’s important to recognise how such films provide a degree of intersectional discussion. As French notes, “female documentarians have made a particular contribution to understanding women’s contingent circumstances” (2019, para. 4). This can be said for one of Diana’s most recent works, Brazen Hussies (2020), for which she was the Impact Producer. Brazen Hussies delves into the history of the Australian women’s liberation movement, but also highlights the intrinsically different lived experiences and oppression women face, shaped by factors including sexuality and race. The film’s exploration of the blatant racism and homophobia that existed/exists within the feminist movement presents a clear degree of intersectional feminism discussion.
This intersectionality extends to a variety of Diana’s other productions, including Why Did She Have to Tell the World (2021) – a documentary which explores the lives of an elderly Australian lesbian couple and their life-long struggle against homophobia. Her current work in production, Under Cover, unveils the growing issue of homelessness faced by older women in Australia. Hence, through the focus of many of her works, Diana may be considered an “advocate change agent” – which French describes to be a practitioner who seeks to “open ‘channels for women’s voices to be heard both in mainstream and alternative media” (2019, para.3).
Moreover, whilst most prominently a producer, Diana recently wrote, directed and produced her first documentary: True Vision (2020). French notes that “producers of screen content naturally tell stories linked to their experience” (2015, p. 7), and this rings true for True Vision. The documentary tells the story of Diana’s young son’s journey being diagnosed with a rare vision disease, and her journey as a mother to connect with Paralympian, Jessica Gallagher, to learn more about the impact of the diagnoses on her son’s future.
Not only is it inherently personal, but it touchingly presents the unique perspectives and stories of two women on entirely different yet connected paths. Diana’s first venture into writing and directing emphasises how “women filmmakers, by dint of having the experience of being a woman in the world…[create] diverse stories from female viewpoints” (French, 2015, p.10).
Therefore, Diana’s strong career as a producer within documentary underscores it as “an important genre for female creative expression, and a site of access for women” (French, 2019, para.1). Although women account for around 41% of documentary producers (Screen Australia, 2015, p.5), Diana’s upcoming projects and expanding career help pave the way for future women in the industry to land key creative roles – something which both documentary and fiction still critically lack (Screen Australia, 2015).
References:
French L, 2015, ‘Does Gender Matter? Women and Australian Film and Television Now’, Lumina: Australian Journal of Screen Arts and Business, no. 14, pp. 139-153.
French L, 2019, ‘Women documentary filmmakers as transnational “advocate change agents”’, Cultura y representaciones sociales, vol. 7, no. 17, pp. 15-29, viewed 10 April 2021, < http://www.revistas.unam.mx/index.php/inter/article/view/67536/62717#B9 >
Screen Australia, 2015, Gender Matters – Women in the Australian Screen Industry, industry report, Screen Australia, viewed 10 April 2021, < https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/f20beab8-81cc-4499-92e9-02afba18c438/Gender-Matters-Women-in-the-Australian-Screen-Industry.pdf >