Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power

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Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power

Released Oct 21, 2022

1h 47m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

70%

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53 Reviews

88%

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50+ Ratings

Brainwashed is based on director Nina Menkes's cinematic presentation, Sex and Power, the Visual Language of Cinema, that uses film clips by A-list directors from 1896 to the present, to show how the visual grammar of cinema contributes to conditions that create discriminatory hiring practice, pay inequity and a pervasive environment of sexual harassment in the film industry and beyond.

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Critics Consensus

Although its subject calls for a more incisive treatment, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power is a worthy primer on the male gaze in cinema.

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Linda Marric

The Jewish Chronicle

Menkes delves deep into Hollywood’s obsession with the female body and its continued sexist representation of young women as objects of desire.

Rated: 4/5

May 12, 2023

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Political, economic and social factors are all conveniently, outrageously, ignored while movies such as Vertigo, Raging Bull and Blade Runner are blamed for everything from body fascism to rape culture.

Rated: 1/5

May 12, 2023

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Lillian Crawford

Little White Lies

Menkes’ accusations against other women directors border on misogyny.

Rated: 2/5

May 10, 2023

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Serena Seghedoni

Loud and Clear Reviews

Will be genuinely educational to some viewers – the key word being “some“.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 23, 2023

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Concluding with opposing examples, films where the images pass Menkes’ muster, the film’s lasting impression is one of condescension and distrust toward its audience.

Jun 14, 2023

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Rosalynn Try-Hane

Liquid Marmalade

It will make you see the way women are portrayed on screen differently.

May 18, 2023

Full Review

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Gwyn V

This is easily one of, if not the most, important documentary about filmmaking. This film truly deprogrammed my brain. It opened my eyes to how films enter our psyche and perpetuate ideas about the world. Watching this should be a prerequisite for all people entering the industry.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/14/24

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Steph G

I think this documentary (which is more like a recording of TED-like talk with interviews interspersed) is one of the most important documentaries of our time for women and their push for equality. Why? Because the way women are represented in the media and film has to change. And Menkes makes a convincing argument of how that current, sexist lens creates real-world chaos for women. You can read more at my blog here: https://stephaniewest.org/2023/03/06/one-of-the-most-important-documentaries-of-our-time-if-the-camera-is-predatory-then-the-culture-is-predatory-as-well/

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/13/23

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Rosanna E

Thought provoking film at the intersection of time, place and space. Nina Menkes "nails it" prodding us to nudge the male gaze with a finger on our pulse!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Trina C

This is a must-see for everyone and especially anyone who works in visual arts or the entertainment industry. Nina Menkes brilliantly explains how the objectification of women in films is connected to employment discrimination and sexual abuse and violence towards women. Breaking down exactly how directors compose shots and using many examples from A-list films and directors she relates the importance of understanding the subject-object relationship onscreen. This objectification has been normalized in men and women, and results in the dehumanization of women. This doc is so well-done, and addresses the way directors can learn to shoot for the feelings of a character, not how they look. It's well researched and uses so many examples, it's an opportunity to see how the old and tired language of the male gaze supports the patriarchy and is a true disservice to everyone. Must-see film!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Michle M

A very useful movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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cristina p

Nina Menke´s movie has opened my eyes to the subtle and terrible process of taming women to an inpossible ideal through the way we are portraited in cinema.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Nina Menkes

Director

Julie Dash

Self

Penelope Spheeris

Self

Charlyne Yi

Self

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Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Brainwashed is based on director Nina Menkes's cinematic presentation, Sex and Power, the Visual Language of Cinema, that uses film clips by A-list directors from 1896 to the present, to show how the visual grammar of cinema contributes to conditions that create discriminatory hiring practice, pay inequity and a pervasive environment of sexual harassment in the film industry and beyond.

Director: Nina Menkes
Producer: Nina Menkes
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Menkesfilm, Eos World Fund
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.8K
Runtime: 1h 47m

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