Teaching documentary film

In our lesson on documentary we would have the students use the femenist and traditionalist lens while watching Jan Krawitz's documentary ''Mirror Mirror.''This documentary provactively explores the realtionship between a woman's body image and the quest for an idealized female form. The women in this film are of varying age, size and ethnicity. The film juxtaposes their views of the ideal body with contests for the perfect body part in the 1930's. I think it would be interesting to add this documentary to a unit on femenism and literature. I would have my students read femenist literature, watch the film, and write an essay on What does it mean to be female? How have women overcome the images and roles that have been expected of them? Is the fight for equality and need to be perfect still prevalent today?