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Three film students at Syracuse University are creating a documentary about gender inequalities that students face on campus. The film, “Wo-man,” which the students plan to release at the end of the fall semester, aims to bring more awareness and attention to this ongoing issue.

Jeanisha Mariah, a sophomore film major, says the name of the documentary was taken from the word “Woman” but spelled as “Wo-man.”

“We found it kind of funny how the word woman itself still contains the word ‘man,’ and this documentary is all about touching on gender inequality,” Mariah said.

The purpose of this documentary is to anonymously share students’ experiences with gender inequality. Also, many women have experienced sexual assault, and the issue does not receive enough attention, she said. This is why she and her fellow film majors, sophomore Erica Negrini and junior Cristie Kwon, chose to create a documentary that can openly express their passion for bringing awareness to the issue of gender inequality.

The documentary is going to be filmed with just the physical features of people, not their faces.

“We’re doing this to touch on the beauty of femininity and (show) a bit more of hands and hair and (stay) away from the male gaze,” Mariah said. “We’re done with being seen as an object and straight sexual appeal in film.”

The filmmakers are planning to interview a range of students on campus to get input from a diverse range of perspectives, Negrini said. The directors hope the documentary will be a catalyst for change on campus.

Students who want to participate can send in footage by emails, participate in an interview or fill out a Google form that they can access by scanning a QR code found on flyers around campus, the directors said.

So far, the trio have interviewed a couple of people, and Mariah said the first student she interviewed opened up right away.

“Our first interview was really touching, and she was also very passionate about this topic. She knew what she wanted to say. We only had to ask three questions,” Mariah said. “She was completely prepared and spoke beautifully.”

The three filmmakers said they were inspired to create the documentary after the protests in September that stemmed from reports of sexual assault. They’re a reminder that there are still students on campus who are “unaware and still don’t even fully acknowledge these problems,” Mariah said.

Mariah has felt that men don’t see her as an equal, she said. Growing up, the film major said that boys wouldn’t take female athletics seriously because it was girls playing the sport.

“Constantly throughout my life I’ve felt like I’ve had to have conversations with males explaining how they’re not better than me,” Mariah said. “I want other people to be aware that these little microaggressions and statements you make towards me do affect me, and I want you to be aware of that.”

The goal is for the film to be finished by the end of the fall semester, the directors said, and screened publicly on campus so people who participated in the film and anyone who is interested can see the documentary. Afterward, the three plan to send it out into the film festival circuit and post it onto an online platform for better accessibility to a greater audience.

Negrini said that even as gender inequality remains a large issue on the SU campus, this film will show that it’s not just one college experiencing this. It concerns all college campuses, high schools and workplaces that have been experiencing the same issues. The students are glad that they are able to share and use their voice to create awareness.

“Constantly throughout our lives, we have to break down the boundaries — it’s really frustrating,” Mariah said. “We are trying to make Syracuse become aware and hopefully create some change.”

Published on October 27, 2021 at 1:09 am