Ferme Tes James : Behind The Film

A McGill student discusses challenging the boundaries set by socially constructed gender stereotypes and addresses the ways in which they have manifested in her own life.

When I shot “Ferme Tes Jambes,” I had recently watched the documentary “A Voix Haute” (2016) on eloquence competitions in France. The documentary outlines five important components for a convincing orator (l’exorde/ introduction, la narration/ narration, l’argumentation/ argumentation, la réfutation/ rebuttal, la péroraison/ peroration). Inspired by the film, I created “Ferme Tes Jambes” in the format of a short film essay, using the proposed structure to discuss gender stereotypes. I explained the general theme to incorporate in the film and gave Sashka (the actor) space to speak on her own experiences. I then experimented with lighting to parallel the symbolic gender-color association (pink/ female and blue/ male) with the topic discussed.

Though, admittedly, being told not to sit in a particular position seems harmless, this type of rhetoric contributes to the mess of double-standards and inequalities that fall under sexism. This film is simply intended to contribute to the dialogue about attempts to control the female body and the confinements resulting from socially constructed gender norms.