‘Technofeminism Can Tackle The Male Gaze In Immersive Content, Say Female Creatives

“Technofeminism” in immersive art will help reduce the influence of the male gaze and could lead to the liberalization of future content, according to speakers at the Geneva Digital Market (GDM) this week.

The writer and director Mariana Cadenas, the virtual reality creator Gaëlle Morey and the producer Pascaline Sordet participated in the conversation titled “The female gaze + virtual reality: when technofeminism takes over digital environments.”

Cadenas, whose first virtual reality documentary Draw for Change: We Exist, We Resist had its world premiere at DOK Leipzig 2023 and is currently screening at the Geneva Film Festival's (GIFF) International Immersive Experiences Competition, says he considers the impact on... .Your project. The male gaze and its global impact. “My film is conceptually an experience of women in the streets, particularly in Mexico, but in general it is an expression of the microaggressions that we as women face every day,” Cadenas said.

“Draw for Change: We Exist, We Resist” is based on the works of Mexican cartoonist Marimoto and highlights the role of women in society due to the horrific incidents of ten murders of women every day in Mexico. "It was difficult to talk to the developers and understand what they wanted to offer," says Cadenas. "And when we talked to young developers about it, they missed a lot."

Moore, who also writes and directs films and mainstream content, said she believes the female gaze is changing what has historically been considered the male gaze. “(The look) is not limited to any gender. In my opinion, VR or any other immersive sector is a very good tool to explore a different perspective. “Virtual reality is sometimes described as a tool for empathy,” he noted. "I wrote that." Quote from Agnès Varda. "The first feminist gesture is to say, 'Okay, they're watching me.' But I'm watching them," she said. I think that's very empowering.

associate programmer , This is the world of Artemisia Gentileschi, a 17th century Italian artist.

Producer Sordet is at GDM with Rave , the first XR project from Swiss director Patrick Morrone, about his memories and experiences in the Swiss rave scene. Swordt was eager to work with him again after producing the documentary Muroni's Climation, although he said he "didn't know anything about VR or XR."

The project, which is in the prototype phase, will introduce the viewer to the magnificent landscape of the Switzerland of a few years ago. The more the user dances, the more recognizable they become, making the audience rave all night.

“This idea is not really about the female gaze per se. "It's a way to reframe the narrative and make it accessible to people who would never go to a dance party with a VR headset," Sordet said. "For example, children can do it, and they do it in a chair, because most of the time you move your hands, so you can say you're in a wheelchair, for example, and still feel the babbling."

Participants agreed that the male gaze was embedded in the DNA of their cinema, but their conscience hardened them against its ubiquity.

“As a producer and screenwriter, I can also use the male gaze because I learned and grew up in a society where the male gaze was dominant,” Sordi said.

He noted that literature, XR, and any other type of cultural production can use the male gaze to explore ideas and ask questions about what the material and audience offer.

All participants also agreed that women continue to face challenges as most finance departments are dominated by men. Inclusion and diversity efforts remain on the audiovisual industry's wish list.

"It's not just men, there are people who are biased and have old ways of doing things," Moore said. “Cultural change is necessary and that is why diversity and representation are so important. There are things I won't understand. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be asked and expressed. It is impossible for a truly homogeneous group to be represented.”