Her Head in Films

Kathleen Collins's 'Losing Ground' (1982)

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For decades, the work of Kathleen Collins languished in obscurity. She was a writer, filmmaker, and professor who is considered one of the first black women to direct a feature-length film. That film is 'Losing Ground,' an extraordinary portrait of a marriage in turmoil and a complex representation of a deeply intellectual woman in search of ecstasy and magic. In this episode, I explore Collins's life, discuss the barriers that have made it difficult for black women to make films both in the past and today, and I provide an in-depth analysis of 'Losing Ground.'

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Original artwork by Dhiyanah Hassan

Show Notes:

  • Listen to more episodes from my debut feature films by women directors series: Unrelated and A Brand New Life
  • Watch 'Losing Ground' on Filmstruck until July 2018
  • Listen to my episode on Barbara Loden's 'Wanda'
  • Listen to my episode about Larisa Shepitko
  • Read Sight and Sound magazine's article on 'Losing Ground'
  • Read Nina Collins's essay in Vogue Magazine
  • DVD of 'Losing Ground' on the Milestone Films website
  • Flicker Alley's Early Women Filmmakers: An International Anthology
  • More information about Lincoln Center's "Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968 – 1986"
  • Kathleen Collins's short story collection, Whatever Happened to Interracial Love?
  • Jeff Nichols's 2016 film, 'Loving'
  • Nancy Buirski's 2011 documentary, 'The Loving Story'
  • More information on Alice Guy-Blache
  • More on Lois Weber
  • More on Frances Marion
  • Article on women who hand-tinted silent films
  • Watch 'Birth of a Movement' on Netflix
  • Listen to my episode on Abbas Kiarostami's 'Taste of Cherry'
  • Listen to my episode on Barry Jenkins's 'Moonlight'
  • Listen to my episode on Jennie Livingston's 'Paris is Burning'
  • Diego Echeverria's 1984 documentary, 'Los Sures'
  • Read Angelica Jade Bastien's review of 'Losing Ground'
  • Read Richard Brody's review of 'Losing Ground'
    • ...more
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