CONVERSATIONS about gender roles and expectations are as visible and complicated as ever before. One only needs to look at the can of worms opened up by James Damore’s Google memo to understand what a dangerously divisive topic this can be to try and honestly unpack.
Lady, a short film written and directed by Will Nash, takes a refreshingly laid-back approach to the subject. Shot in Super 8mm, the film gives us a glimpse into the life of a young women – Lady (played by Amy Doyle) – who practises the somewhat defiant routine of 90s ‘ladette culture’.
Following in the footsteps of Zoe Ball and Sara Cox, Lady swaggers around London unapologetically partaking in traditional male activities. And she tells us about the joys of this lifestyles while getting her hands dirty in the car repair shop, downing shot after shot in the bar and scoffing down a greasy fry up in the local café. It makes for a lively watch, especially with the impressive Doyle bringing a boisterous energy and humour to match her numerous costume changes.
This is effective, playfully provoking and straight to the point filmmaking from Nash. Lady burps in the face of restrictive gender roles and chooses female empowerment over easy labels. This is a reminder to have fun and be who you are – not who you are told or expected to be.