There have long been discussions surrounding the spaces women can safely and comfortably occupy in society. The rise of the Time’s Up movement, for example, has emphasized workplaces as spaces rife with gender inequity and discrimination. Yet seemingly innocuous spaces such as bars and streets may also morph into challenging terrain for women, depending on the situation. The ability to lean on other women in such circumstances can provide a powerful remedy to feelings of alienation and frustration.
Our latest VOD/web series picks ask us to reflect on how women can reshape spaces by coming together. Whether it be STEM professions in “Resting Pitch Face,” fitting rooms in “Fitting,” or gentrifying neighborhoods and academia in “Uneasy,” these projects celebrate the power of camaraderie among women.
VOD
“Fitting” (Short) – Directed by Emily Avila; Written by Emily Avila and Bronwen Noakes
“Fitting” is a short film that follows Diane (Deborah Leiser-Moore) as she searches for a bra after a recent mastectomy. Clocking in at under 14 minutes, “Fitting” packs an emotional punch as Diane works with store attendant Miranda (Clementine Anderson) to find a bra that she can wear under the low-cut dress she originally bought for her daughter’s wedding.
Though fitting rooms may seem harmless enough, Emily Avila’s film highlights how they can be troublesome spaces for women dealing with life-altering illnesses. Inspired by Avila’s personal experience with breast cancer — her grandmother was diagnosed and had a single mastectomy — as well as her eavesdropping on a similar situation to that portrayed in her film, “Fitting” weaves back and forth in time, transporting viewers from the lingerie store’s fitting room to the shower where Diane discovers a lump in her breast.
The short showcases the best of feminine solidarity, as one woman helps another through a difficult moment with delicacy and empathy. The quiet connection that develops between Diane and Miranda through this shared experience ultimately allows the former to come to terms with what happened to her. In an interview, Avila stated that she made the film “to connect with anyone going through something quietly.”
“Fitting” screened at several festivals in 2018, including the Sydney Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, and Palm Springs International ShortFest. It also received the Lexus Australia Short Film Fellowship and was selected as Vimeo’s Short of the Week.
Watch “Fitting” on Vimeo.
Web Series
“Resting Pitch Face” – Directed by Claudia Pickering; Written by Nicola Parry and Jessica Harris
“Resting Pitch Face” opens with a rapid-fire sequence of interactions that will feel familiar to most women who have ever worked in male-dominated workspaces. From being called “sweetheart” by male superiors to overhearing a co-worker brag about his project compiling all the female frontal nudity in “Game of Thrones,” the all-female crew behind “Resting Pitch Face” tackles casual workplace sexism and discrimination with biting humor and wit.
The web series follows three women working in different STEM fields: textile engineer Olivia (Emily Havea), cyber security developer Mahala (Nakkiah Lui), and research scientist Sam (Bridie Connell). The sexism they deal with on a day-to-day basis bonds them together, as they lean on each other for support and encouragement and eventually decide to start working on their own world-changing project.
While the circumstances depicted throughout the series may seem extreme and ridiculous, any woman working in STEM can tell you that they aren’t far off from reality. The show’s writers pulled inspiration from surveys of real women working in STEM careers, underlining exactly how far off these fields are from achieving gender parity and eliminating routine and systemic discrimination.
By exposing and mocking the intense “brodown” cultures found in STEM workplaces, “Resting Pitch Face” provides a vital and hilarious perspective that will resonate with women in any industry. Director Claudia Pickering said in an interview that “the whole goal is to encourage women to choose a STEM career while peppering in comedy,” and “Resting Pitch Face” accomplishes just that.
Watch “Resting Pitch Face” on YouTube and Grumpy Sailor’s website.
“Uneasy” – Directed by Samiat Salami; Written by Samiat Salami and Vanessa Flores
Shows such as “Insecure” and “Girls” have made it clear that audiences are hungry for compelling stories centered on young women navigating life’s liminal spaces. While on its face “Uneasy” may seem to follow in these series’ footsteps, the unique perspectives of its creators, Nigerian-American Samiat Salami and Guatemalan-Mexican-American Vanessa Flores, ensure that it will break new ground.
Shot and set in Oakland, California, “Uneasy” tackles one of the most pressing problems in major cities today: gentrification. Though its main characters Cat (Flores) and Ade (Salami) struggle to afford rent, they also contend with perceptions of them as outsiders and gentrifiers. Simultaneously, the women face individual challenges relating to their identities and the ways they fit into their respective communities. In an interview, Salami explained that through the series they “wanted to showcase what it’s like to come from post-military Nigeria, and also what is like to be Latinx and not speak Spanish, and how it affects your culture.”
As roommates, Cat and Ade navigate feeling like outsiders, all the while attending job interviews for positions they hardly understand, babysitting bratty kids, and struggling to form new friendships. The hilarity that ensues makes “Uneasy” an addicting and compelling watch.
The show’s Seed&Spark campaign explains that “there isn’t a lot of media that shows the in-between for [women of color]. We are either tragic or epitomes of success. While a lot of us are like everyone else, trying to do the best with what we have.” In bringing their personal challenges and experiences to the small screen, Salami and Flores are playing their part in breaking down overly simplistic depictions of women of color while exploring broad questions that young women everywhere can relate to.
“Uneasy” will premiere on YouTube March 1.
