Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2025
Document Type
Master's Capstone Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Liberal Studies
Advisor
Elizabeth Alsop
Subject Categories
Film and Media Studies
Abstract
This capstone project explores the intersection of motherhood and filmmaking through a reflexive documentary that examines how women directors have historically navigated the tensions between creative careers and raising children. Drawing on feminist film theory and autoethnographic methods, the fourteen-minute video essay analyzes three pioneering autobiographical documentaries from the 1970s—Joyce at 34 (1973), Nana, Mom and Me (1974), and Women Are Naturally Creative: Agnès Varda (1977)—alongside original footage documenting my own experience as a mother with deferred filmmaking aspirations. The project employs reflexive documentary techniques to weave together film analysis and personal narrative, investigating the central question: why didn't I follow my dream of becoming a filmmaker? Through close examination of archival footage and contemporary self-documentation, the project demonstrates the value of self-reflexivity as both a methodological approach and a creative practice for women filmmakers, contributing to broader conversations about gendered experiences in media production and the ways personal narrative can inform academic discourse. This work positions autoethnographic documentary practice as a legitimate form of feminist film scholarship that bridges the gap between lived experience and theoretical analysis.
Online component: https://vimeo.com/1117547812
Recommended Citation
Berzak, Eddy, "Double Exposure: Motherhood and Filmmaking" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6470
