Brazen Hussies
| Brazen Hussies | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Catherine Dwyer |
| Written by | Catherine Dwyer |
| Produced by | Philippa Campey, Andrea Foxworthy |
| Cinematography | Anna Howard, Erika Addis, Sky Davis |
| Edited by | Rosie Jones |
| Music by | Amanda Brown |
| Animation by | Juliet Miranda Rowe |
Production companies | Film Camp Pty Ltd Brazen Hussies Film Pty Ltd |
| Distributed by | Film Art Media |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
Brazen Hussies is a 2020 Australian documentary feature recording the history of the Women's Liberation Movement in Australia from 1965 to 1975.
Synopsis
[edit]The film covers the evolution of second-wave feminism in Australia.[1] It includes footage taken by ASIO, as well as actor Sigrid Thornton, then aged 12, waving a women's liberation flag with her mum, Merle, who started the movement in Brisbane when she chained herself to a pub counter in which women were not allowed to drink. The movement coincided with the anti-Vietnam war movement, the anti-apartheid movement.[2]
Production
[edit]It is Catherine Dwyer's first film as director[3] and Sue Maslin was executive producer.[4] Maslin later said that the filmmakers had great difficulty in getting it financed.[1]
The film was so named because the women's movement had reclaimed the formerly pejorative term, wearing it as a "badge of honour".[2]
Release
[edit]Following screenings at both the Brisbane International Film Festival[5] and the Adelaide Film Festival,[3]
Brazen Hussies was released in cinemas on 7 November 2020,[2] on 56 screens across Australia, lasting for three months on the big screen.[1]
Reception and accolades
[edit]In a review in The Guardian, Kath Kenny wrote: "Dwyer has uncovered terrific archival footage and photos to complement contemporary interviews".[6]
Sally Breen, a senior lecturer at Griffith University, writing for The Conversation, wrote that the film is: "A celebration of how far we’ve come and a warning of just how easily everything these women fought for could be lost."[7]
Brazen Hussies was nominated for the best documentary award at the 10th AACTA Awards.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Maslin, Sue (13 October 2021). "Sue Maslin: Championing a Positive Future for the Australian Screen Industry". Australian Film Television and Radio School (Interview). Interviewed by Kirkwood, Christine. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "How Brazen Hussies documentary tells story of women's liberation movement in Australia". ABC News. 6 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Brazen Hussies". Adelaide Film Festival. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "BRAZEN HUSSIES". Documentary Australia Foundation. 12 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "Brazen Hussies". Brisbane International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ Kenny, Kath (4 November 2020). "Brazen Hussies review – reclaiming the history of Australia's women's liberation movement". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ Breen, Sally (6 October 2020). "Brazen Hussies: a new film captures the heady, turbulent power of Australia's women's liberation movement". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ "First slate of nominees announced for 2020 AACTA Awards". Mumbrella. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2021.