During her sophomore year as a film production major, Oakland University student Katherine (Katie) Reid struggled to find a campus club she fit into.
“I was looking for clubs to be a part of, and I didn’t really find a good fit,” Reid said.
Reid’s experience is shared by many students, as finding a shared community on campus can be difficult. Luckily, feelings can spark a desire to create a new safe space and allow others in the same boat to feel seen.
Since the gender makeup of the film-making field is predominantly male, women in film are an underrepresented population in the industry.
“It’s known now that there wasn’t a club for women in film for so long. And now people are kind of like, oh wow, like we didn’t have that, there hasn’t been like a space carved out for women in film,” Reid said.
Reid — along with her classmate Emma Davis — started the Women in Film Club on campus in late 2022. The club not only directs its focus on influential female directors and the inspiring stories they tell but also the creation of an inclusive and safe community for women interested in the film industry.
“To me, the main part of it was to bring people together,” Reid said. “You’re trying to bring people together within again, the film major, but outside of that as well and create kind of just a safe space for people to come and talk about their experiences and bond over them.”
The club provides a space for members to freely talk about and bond over films women are often ridiculed for enjoying. Inclusion and acceptance are core values of the club.
Since the club is still relatively new, its leadership team is working on expanding its community and activities. It should be noted the club welcomes all students, no matter the major.
Reid — along with the rest of the e-board members — have gathered together to brainstorm new ideas for the club and meet their general members. To kick off this year’s meeting, they watched and discussed the 2009 classic, “Jennifer’s Body,” directed by Karyn Kusama.
In the future, Women in Film intends to view the films of many more female directors, such as Cheryl Dunye, Alice Guy, Viola Davis and Greta Gerwig. Along with these female directors, the club will facilitate conversations about outspoken actresses such as Emma Watson, Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn and Florence Pugh, to name a few.
“I honestly just want to make it chill. I want the meetings to feel like a hangout,” Reid said. “I don’t want it to feel like people have to come with these long, drawn-out notes of their insightful ideas. I want it to just be very chill and people bringing their ideas, and everyone’s just kind of talking.
“We have activities — I don’t want it to feel like a class or like there are too many things happening in the club that you have to make time for if you want to be a member. Like, kind of like drop in and out when you can. Very non-stressful, so I’m trying to get to the freshmen.”
Campus inclusion is incredibly important to the overall comfort of all students. Everyone should have a place where they can feel free to be themselves and be surrounded by their peers. Women in Film is an example of one such group advocating for the importance of these values.
For more information on the Women in Film Club, please visit the group’s Instagram page, @ouwomeninfilm. Individuals interested in becoming a general member of Women in Film can sign up for the club’s email list.
