Cutting Against Controlling Imagery: An Analysis of Films Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and Ava DuVernay

• Main Author: Greene, Danyelle
• Format: Others
• Published: OpenSIUC 2016
• Subjects: ava duvernay; black women; film; gender; gina prince-bythewood; representation
• Online Access: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1984; https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2998&context=theses

Historically, images of Black women in media have been confined to one-dimensional, caricatured representations such as the mammy, jezebel, and 'angry Black woman'. However, a small segment of Black female filmmakers have committed to the re-presentation of Black women. This study focuses on two Black female directors, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Ava DuVernay, who have re-presented multi-dimensional images of Black women at the center of their stories. In this thesis, Prince-Bythewood’s "Love & Basketball" (2000) and "Beyond the Lights" (2014) and DuVernay’s "The Door" (2013) and "Selma" (2014) are the subjects of the chapters as I examine themes such as community, motherhood, and girlhood from the films.