It now emerges that more women were working at every level in the first
20 years of the film industry in the USA than at any point since. Early
pioneers, such as Alice Guy Blache, directed hundreds of films, invented
techniques, ran businesses and set up distribution but with the rise of
the male-dominated studio system, their significant contribution to the
dawn of the movies has long been forgotten.
With chapters on the writers, directors, producers, stars, film editors,
designers and camera women of the silent era this book acknowledges and
celebrates the many talented women who were significantly involved in
the rise of the industry and explains why the coming of the talkies and
big business led to the inequality which exists today. Voted the best
book published about silent cinema in THE SILENT LONDON POLL OF 2016 #1
Amazon Best Seller: Silent Film Named one of the Best Film Books of the
Year by Huffington Post Covers the hidden history of cinema's diverse
beginnings including American, European and African-American female
filmmakers, cinematographers, editors, critics and screenwriters. With a
never-before published interview with legendary director Dorothy Arzner.
Essential reading for students of film studies, media, culture and
gender/women studies. Taps into the current debate about discrimination
within the media and creative industries. Concludes with a chapter by
activist and film director Maria Giese, who instigated the Civil
Liberties investigation into sexism in Hollywood, on the current status
of women behind the camera in Hollywood today.
