Documentary: Fem.doc - on the history of the womensmovement in the Netherlands
On our own initiative, we— Maartje Liebregts, Josien Pieterse, and Cas Bool — undertook a study of the legacy of the Second Wave of Feminism. As women’s studies students, we regularly encountered prejudices about feminism and the negative imagery surrounding the Second Wave. We often had to identify ourselves when choosing our program. We have now graduated or are in the final stages of our studies. We felt it was time to investigate the background of this image. Our search for the background of the imagery of feminism took the form of a visual story. We chose film to nuance the controversial imagery of feminism. By seeing the interviewees’ engagement with the subject and hearing personal stories and experiences from the 1970s, we want to spark a discussion. What went wrong?
Next, we explore new initiatives in the film. What are their views on the Second Wave of Feminism, and do they still dare to call themselves feminists? Finally, we engage the two generations in dialogue. This places the new initiatives in a historical context. We ask ourselves whether a new wave exists and what it looks like. Key themes of the Second Feminist Wave, such as the division of labor and care, or women and image, remain just as relevant. Young people are complementing these with new themes such as “womanism” and criticism of the white women’s movement, the problematization of masculinity, and the role of gender in information technology.
The film includes interviews with Petra de Vries, Saskia Poldervaart, Hedy d’Ancona, Halina Reijn, Babs Gons, and Jens van Tricht, among others.
The film was screened at 25 locations, including the 25th edition of the Women’s Film Festival in Assen, the Pinksterlanddagen festival in Appelscha, and the Vrankrijk squat café in Amsterdam. The film was included in the exhibition The Personal is Political Through the Eyes of Hedy d’Ancona, National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden (2003); and the exhibition 1001 Women in the 20th Century, Amsterdam Museum (2018-2019). The film is part of the collection of Museum Flehite, Amersfoort.
Documentaiy ‘Fem.doc’ (2002)
SD video, Â ca. 47 minutes
Based on an idea of Maartje Liebregts en Josien Pieterse
Regie: Josien Pieterse, Maartje Liebregts en Cas Bool
Camera: Cas Bool
Editing: Obbe Verwer
Production: Josien Pieterse en Cas Bool
Music: Rymke en Weia
Photo’s: Eva Besnyö, ea.
Graphic design: Saskia van der Zanden en Bregt Balk
Feminism /
Network
Josien Pieterse
Director of Framer Framed
