my three sirens

Hello! I did not have a chance to explain my project during our last class so I figured I would explain a bit here. My project sprouted from a brief conversation I had with another classmate regarding gender on an individual basis, what femininity is and how it can be applied to oneself, yet stray from being quantified. I filmed three different individuals in their daily routines: individuals who saw themselves as female but anchored their feminine identities in different areas of the endless spectrum of gender. The first person filmed is actually my mother, who, as it turns out, sees gender expression as a very rigid model and within the confines of her religion. The second person being filmed is my friend who considers herself female but occasionally and for periods of time will bind and express her gender in various ways that may not be traditional for a female. The last person being filmed is another friend of mine who expresses herself in a traditionally female way. What I really want people to think about is why we speculate and cling onto gender when so much of our behavior is taught and sprung-forth from esoteric, ancient social norms. Just something to think about when there exists such a large and abounding spectrum of gender expression.
Personally, 'gender' makes me feel confined.

Thanks for an awesome semester, everyone.

Jose


PS. The piece of music is by Claude Debussy, titled "Sirenes," and if you know the mythology of the Sirens, you'll understand the relevance to the subject matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LicnpLRmueI

take care