9 Sep 2016

Documentary about the objectification of women shown at Island School before its public release

Documentary film maker Nicole Fan showed her latest project She Objects to an audience of Island School students on 6 Sep 2016 before, its public release. Senior Head of Rutherford House Mr Chan contacted the Women’s Foundation and invited them to show the documentary during Year 12 Speaker’s Hour. Mr. Chan said, “A committee of students worked hard to facilitate the screening and the panel discussion afterwards. They are now working on taking this issue out to a wider audience.”

Zoe Chan, 12F reviews the film….

She Objects is a thought-provoking and inspiring documentary that challenges gender stereotypes in Hong Kong.

A stunning documentary commissioned by the Women’s Foundation on the issue of the stereotype and objectification of women in Hong Kong. It raises questions about the definition of beauty and how the media influences these thoughts.

Director Nicola Fan’s film is a visually captivating documentary peppered with bright animation that tells the stories of those struggling with body stereotyping. Women and men share their personal experiences on topics such as compensated dating, exposure to explicit content at a young age, self-harm and consumerism.

Through interviews with academics and sector professionals the film highlights how the Hong Kong media portrays women and the self-esteem issues it causes. It posies questions like; What is the definition of beauty in Hong Kong? How far are you willing to go to meet ‘beauty standards’? Can the media embrace more diversity in accordance to women’s body shapes?

The documentary finishes by celebrating diversity and calls for the positive portrayal of women. She Objects is a film everyone in our generation should watch!

The director and the communications officer of the Women’s Foundation attended the screening and took questions from the audience afterwards. They commented that young people understanding the issues around female stereotyping is critical.

Students Karen Ng and Thomas Yik were interviewed by TVB for their reactions to the documentary, for a programme to be aired later this month.

Click here to see a 10min version of the film.