A Yearlong Film Viewing Balancing Act 2016 ...
As I prepare to step into 2016... I also gear up for another Yearlong Film Viewing Balancing Act (YFVBA). The original YFVBA led to the creation of the #DirectedbyWomen Worldwide Film Viewing Party! It also inspired me to make the experimental short Attention to Detail Guides the Dreamer! I’m eager to see what arises as I move through THIS year’s YFVBA. As before... my intention is to deepen my practice of inviting authentic creative expression to flourish in the world in a balanced and harmonious way by once again bringing my attention to - and opening to receive - the creative motion picture outpourings of women and men film directors in equal measure. This year I’m focusing on feature films from the past 10 years: 2007 - 2016. Well, that’s 9 years now but by the end of 2016 it will be 10!
I’m setting no daily film viewing requirements this time around and I’m leaving short films out of the equation. I will balance my film viewing by type - documentary, experimental, narrative - and by method of viewing - cinema, festival, streaming, disc, etc.
In addition to balancing my film viewing within the 2007 - 2016 time frame, for every film I watch that was directed by a man prior to 2007 I’ll watch 2 films by women from any time period in cinema history. That feels harmonious to me. I’ll prioritize films by women directors whose work I’ve not yet experienced and I’ll also delve deeper into filmographies of some of my favorite directors. I’ll happily revisit films I’ve seen before as well. My scope will be global. As always I’m looking to experience work from around the world and from as many different kinds of women film directors as possible.
I will celebrate each film director and share about what I’m seeing... outside the context of critique or judgment. What interests me is putting my attention on the work... not ascribing value or attempting to define the work in any way.
Although I will not attempt to view a balance of work by women cinematographers, writers, producers, actors, designers, etc. during this process, I will relish their contributions to the films I see and share as I go along. I’ll also explore and note my awareness of how the films I see - whether directed by women or men - align with the Bechdel-Wallace Test, A-rating, F-rating, etc.
Meanwhile I’ll continue to engage the #DirectedbyWomen initiative, building content on the Directedby list, expanding the Film Viewing Possibilities, and redesigning the website to facilitate sharing events, interviews, lists, articles, wayfinder tributes, and other content. I invite collaborators. I look forward to hearing from you.
I hope you’ll join the fun as we celebrate the work of women directors all year... and particularly as film lovers everywhere prepare to supersaturate the world with screenings and viewings of as many women directed films as we can possibly mobilize in a single month. Mark your calendars... #DirectedbyWomen2016: September 1-30, 2016.
I repeat what I shared in 2013.. as it continues to be relevant... “I’m experiencing this as an adventure, an exploration. I’ll find out what happens along the way, but I’m envisioning opportunities to share and converse with a wide range of people about their own awarenesses about whose creative expressions they are opening to receive, what they themselves are sharing in response, etc. I’ll invite people to dialogue with me about their awakening awarenesses and the choices they are making in their film viewing lives… and in their film creation processes as well. The emphasis is on honoring and engaging the creative storytelling/vision sharing powers of women and men in a way that will support the thriving of both yin and yang energies in my life, in cinema, and in the world at large. And will inspire a flourishing of authentic creative expression in my life and in the world in a beautifully unrestricted way. I’ll make no assumptions (or as few as I can!) about the nature of this experiment. I’ll see what arises.I’ll remain open to allowing creativity to flow to me, through me, and from me. I’ll share here about my own creative processes that arise as I move through this year.If you feel inspired to engage in a film viewing balancing act of your own, I look forward to hearing how it unfolds.I’m anticipating a great unfolding of awareness and a deepening into authenticity.”
Thank you for joining me on this journey...
munay, Barbara Ann O’Leary #DirectedbyWomen Catalyst Please visit Dream Heal Create if you’d like to find out about the shamanic and deep energy work I’m doing to support authentic creative expression flourishing in the world.