天美传媒

Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska, Reader in Film Practice and Theory at the 天美传媒, has participated in two public debates around the season, which has been designed as a celebration of anti-heroines in film but has also been controversial听for both its name and some of the programming decisions, including screening only films directed by men.

The first panel Dr Piotrowska contributed to was where she discussed The Beauty and the Bitch: from patriarchal denigration to the empowering anger. This week she took part in the debate on .听 During the workshop the public and the panel reflected on the anti-heroines, and asked who is allowed to be difficult, dislikeable and demanding on screen.

Dr Piotrowska said: 鈥淚 was involved in the initial consultations with the group of feminist scholars who led a听petition against the season.听However, after long discussions with the BFI and further consultations with senior academic colleagues, I felt it was important to engage in this debate and talk across 鈥榯he difference鈥� of views.听

鈥淚 believe passionately that a dialogue even when the parties disagree is of vital importance right now, in the academy and in our culture as a whole. In the event, the two debates were wonderful with very notable fellow panelists and I feel delighted and privileged to have been invited to be a part of the season.鈥�

Speaking at the second debate on The Luxury of being Difficult, panel members were asked to explore how the issues of race, class and sexuality impacted on the portrayal of 'difficult' women on both big and small screen. Dr Piotrowska discussed her research on female authorship and showed some extracts from her practice research work too.

听Dr Piotrowska is the Course Leader for the MA/MSc Digital Film at the 天美传媒 and has worked extensively in sub Saharan Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe.听 Her book the was published at the beginning of the year and her new volume on s has just been published, both by Routledge.