Call for Papers: Feminist Perspectives in Screendance

The Feminist Perspectives in Screendance issue will explore how feminists have employed the medium of screendance to dismantle patriarchal norms, amplify diverse voices, and create embodied narratives that inspire critical reflection on gender, identity, and societal expectations. Feminist film/screen makers also often embrace intersectionality, acknowledging and representing a spectrum of identities beyond gender. A critical study of these perspectives allows us to look into intangibility of the filmic medium, its re-enactments through embodied memory and nostalgia (Boym S., 2001). Choreographic editing, envisioned from a feminist perspective, has allowed us to (re)construct presences that are constantly fading out, and absences that reinforce the memory of bodies or identities (Lavoie-M.C & Guy P., 2017). These perspectives also have been about engaging with cinematic conventions, questioning and subverting traditional approaches to framing, editing, and narrative structure. By doing so, artists disrupt established visual tropes, offering alternative narratives that challenge conventional cinematic representations of gender.  Different means of production, collaboration, presentation and circulation through the feminist perspective have expanded both a technical vision as well as contributed to justice frameworks.  In this time of environmental crisis, ecofeminist voices intersect with the more-than-human and inform the embodied narratives portrayed on screen.

Feminist perspectives in screendance offers a comprehensive opportunity of explorations of framing the realm of screendance, highlighting the ways in which this unique form of artistic expression can challenge and deconstruct traditional gender norms. It touches upon various dimensions, including embodiment, memory, nostalgia, and representation, showcasing how artists have used and subverted cinematic conventions to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on feminism, possible forms of resistance, protest and feminist utopias.

Guest editors: Urmimala Sarkar (retired Dean, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University) & Sumedha Bhattacharyya (Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities).

Deadline to Submit: February 28, 2025