Is there a way we can pass and surpass the Bechdel Test?
This post was written by Dastan Khalili.
The Bechdel Test, named for American cartoonist Alison Bechdel, is a measure of the representation of women in fiction. It asks whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man. Bechdel first referenced the test in a 1985 comic strip, but it was not widely discussed until the 2000s.
We have seen a bevy of female action stars over the last few decades—Angelina, Charlize, Scarlett—but male action heroes have always dominated the genre. And even when we watch these women on screen, too often their characters seem to be hiding any signs of femininity.
But now, culturally, gender identity has taken on new meaning, so why can’t we break down some stereotypes on screen? In making my recent independent film, The Way, for example, my intention was to bring balance to a lead character; a character not defined by traditional definitions nor gender misnomers.
Author: Guest Author
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
