In the summer of 2014, Angelina Jolie joined Foreign Secretary William Hague in leading the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. The summit came just days after the opening of Jolie’s film, Maleficent, which opened at #1 and grossed over $700M worldwide. The film’s pivotal plot point is a metaphorical rape scene that offers feminist commentary on the real issues of sexual violence in women’s lives.
The is presentation will explore how Maleficent, both the character and the film itself, not only disrupts the “male gaze” but challenges Audre Lorde’s theory that the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. Hollywood is one of the most sexist, and influential, tenants of American culture and therefore the Megaplex may be the most effective site for revolution. Jolie’s participation in real world activism and her agency in choosing roles as well as her influence over script choices is changing the landscape of Hollywood and hence, the world.
About the presenterAlicia Sowisdral
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