Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Final Project: A conversation with Devin.

For my final project I wanted to explore more in depth what it means to be a transwoman, and how that identity intersects with modern day feminism and media. I have made short video where we meet a dear friend of mine by the name of Devin, who is currently on her journey in transitioning into female. The video centers around a conversation with Devin, where we discuss her identity, and what it means to her, how she’s evolving with it, and the struggles that it encompasses. I wanted the film to feel like we were having a personal discussion with Devin,  where it mimics the structure of just asking questions. By choosing this path for my film I realized that although it is important to hear other people stories and perspectives, one person cannot solely represent an entire community. Devin has helped curate the conversation in the film, as well I used my research to structure the conversation in a way that we don’t lose the intimacy of Devin’s story, but is informative and accurate of the struggles of trans women. The film further explores themes we have discussed this semester like what it means to be a woman in media, what does it mean to be a woman in the dynamic of society, how has the patriarchy affected women- specifically their self image, and how the lgbtq+ circles and narratives intersect with what it means to be a woman. 

I have learned a tremendous amount about what the trans experience is like, and want to give this identity a platform to inform others of what some marginalized people face in society. The research done to prepare for this film has centered around what questions I already had pertaining to this identity. I used various of our class readings as a foundation for my research, as well as scholarly literature, and media. 

Work Cited:
“Feminism, Gender Justice, and Trans Inclusion: Web Resources.” Barnard Center for Research on Women, bcrw.barnard.edu/feminism-gender-justice-and-trans-inclusion-web-resources/.
feministfrequency. “Trans Women Are Women: Carolyn Petit on the Feminist Answering Machine.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 Nov. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1cNGMLfyj0.
Hooks, Bell. The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love. Simon & Schuster, 2005.
Hooks, Bell. Black Looks: Race and Representation. Routledge, 2015.
Kilbourne, Jean. Deadly Persuasion: Why Women and Girls Must Fight the Addictive Power of Advertising. Simon & Schuster, 2000.
“Viewpoint: Understanding Anti-Transgender Feminism.” Discover Society, 3 Sept. 2018, discoversociety.org/2018/04/03/viewpoint-understanding-anti-transgender-feminism/.

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