The Doris Motion Picture

The Doris Network plans nine short films, three a year for three years, according to the Doris Manifesto, as well as a documentary following the project.
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Is there a ”female” narrative?

• Would the portrayal of men and women look different with female narrators?
• How will the films come out with merely women as authors?
• The Doris Manifesto will investigate these questions.

Never before has this been investigated – anywhere
in the world!
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Project Description

In order to explore narrative by women we want to produce three short films a year during three years according to the Doris Manifesto. The aim with these nine short films is to explore female portrayal from a gender perspective, as well as gather and bring forward the female competence in the film industry. The nine short films will be shown separately, as well as edited together to a full length film for TV, festival and cinema distribution worldwide.

Selection

An official script contest is announced in business organisations and in the daily press. The film ideas and scripts handed in are judged according to the Manifesto by a script group (as mentioned below). All genres are welcome. Doris members who hand in scripts themselves automatically renounce the right to read the received scripts.

Realization

In the Doris Network exists a directive group of three people (as mentioned below), responsible of the budget around the administration of the Doris Manifesto, and of initiating the project of each short film. All nine films will have different female authors. The directive group searches all over the country for suitable professional film directors, as well as pursue and present the projects to affected financiers. The directive group nominates a leader of each project, who nominates remaining primary functions together with the film director. There is also a neutral reference group (as mentioned below) for consulting about contents and realization of the manifesto. The Doris Network documents the shooting of each short film.

In February 2004 a national script contest was announced. At the day of the deadline, the 15th of April, 410 scripts had been sent in. Eight contributions were selected and the script writers attended a script workshop for one week, with the dramaturge Kirsten Bonnén Rask, in July.

In August three winners were selected: Danger in the Night by Bitte Havstad, Susanne Goes Single by Camilla Börjesson and Shoot me by Carin Bräck.

The Documentary

A documentary section from the Doris Network, documents the development of the manifesto and each separate short film production, aiming to investigate gender questions. The documentary is going to work as a debate foundation, among other things, after the making of the nine short films. To this belongs a written guidance.

Investigation

Institutions of Film Science and Female Science will follow the work with the manifesto from an academic point of view, for which Gothenburg’s and Stockholm’s Universities have been contacted. This work will be an important documentation for the investigating work initiated by the manifesto and realized by the film crew. Through the academic view, important observation can be done and possible conclusions can be reached. This investigative work is going to compose the foundation for the guidance material of the manifesto. Further on this co-operation with the universities can generate other co-operations.

Distribution

The short films are going to be shown on TV and film festivals worldwide. The nine short films will be edited, when all are finished, to a full length film for festival and cinema distribution, as well as a DVD and video edition. This full length film with its belonging documentary will also have a strong universal value.

Financing

Received finances: 460 000 SEK from “Culture of the Future 2003” which made possible the first script contest. Possible financiers: The Swedish Film Institute, The Culture Department, Regional Film Funds, SVT (Swedish Television), “Culture of the Future”, The Artists Board, Gothenburg’s Culture Administration, The Institute of Popular Health, Skandia – ”Ideas for life” and trade and industry.