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Stephanie Rothman

Hidden Figures

—
A dancer stands in front of a glittering curtain.

Known for her ‘exploitation’ films and bad-ass female leads, Stephanie Rothman’s counter-culture films fought back against the male gaze of 1970s New Hollywood.

Unjustly labelled a second-wave exploitation filmmaker who made low budget trashy movies for the drive-in teenage audience, Stephanie Rothman’s counter-cultural films were first celebrated by women’s film festivals and praised by feminist critics in the 1970s. Her works stand as some of the most politically and socially astute films about women’s lives in 1970s America.

Rothman completed seven feature films between 1966-1974. Her career began when she was hired by cult director Roger Corman. Despite working within the confines of the exploitation genre, as critic B Ruby Rich remarks, ‘with their display of female power run amok, Rothman created space for women’s cinema, in both the imagination and the movie palace that led to a philosophy of inclusion’.

  • ‘Something of an alchemist in film direction, Stephanie Rothman was able to turn the base metal of trashy low-budget cinema into pure gold.‘
    Writer and filmmaker Bev Zalcock, June 2024
  • ‘..It’s only recently that Rothman’s work has been unequivocally acknowledged for what it is: incisive, funny, and bursting with ideas, and a crucial counter to the male vision of the American 70s.‘
    The Metrograph

About the curators

Both self-proclaimed Stephanie Rothman fans, this curatorial collaboration between Selina Robertson (Club des Femmes, Birkbeck) and Isabel Moir (London Film Festival film programmer) brings the new restorations of Rothman’s films to the UK, movies that are ripe for rediscovery and reappraisal.

Cinemas

Location
Barbican Cinema 2 & 3 are located on Beech Street, a short walk from the Barbican’s Silk Street entrance. From Silk Street, you’ll see a zebra crossing that will take you across the road to the venue. 

Address
Beech Street
London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.