War Zone (1998)

Bertolt Brecht lives! Maggie Hadleigh-West walks crowded urban streets carrying a video camera and microphone, trailed by one or two women also with cameras. Whenever a man harasses her, ... See full summary »

Director:

Maggie Hadleigh-West

Stars:

Maggie Hadleigh-West

Cast

Cast overview:
Maggie Hadleigh-West	...	Herself

Storyline

Bertolt Brecht lives! Maggie Hadleigh-West walks crowded urban streets carrying a video camera and microphone, trailed by one or two women also with cameras. Whenever a man harasses her, with ogling or words, she turns the camera on him, moves in close, and questions his behavior. The questions are not for dialogue but for making him as uncomfortable as he's made her. More than 50 such encounters are included: the men react with bravado, embarrassment, or anger. None apologize. Interspersed are her voice-over stories of growing up and dealing with men, as well as interviews with several women who talk about how they handle similar harassment and what they feel about it.

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Plot Keywords:

sexism | independent film

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 1998 (USA)

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Fatale Inc., Hank Levine Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in SexTV: Warzone/Richard Kern/Breastfeeding (1998)

User Reviews

I wanted to like it more than I did.

The film maker confronts men on the street about their harassment of women.

The footage is necessarily raw; it takes a lot of concentration on the audio. For the effort necessary, I wanted a bigger payoff. The film certainly has its provocative and revealing moments, but overall it didn't convey much to me that was new and interesting. Her threshold for when she would confront men was low enough that I found some exchanges unnecessary and therefore annoying.