I’m going write a short silent script about “hysteria,” since that is such a gendered and derogatory term. I’m going to make it without dialogue because I don’t want to be explaining the concept; I want to show it. I need to watch films that deal with hysteria from a male perspective and see how I can work in contrast to that. I will also be watching silent shorts – probably a lot from Maya Deren – in order to structure mine. I’ll also be reading up on hysteria from a female theorist’s perspective.

What I need to find out is my take on hysteria. Is it just the term that is problematic or is it the male portrayal of women who are breaking down? I also need to read up on the origins of the term, as well as the process of diagnosis and why it became a label for women. I also have to dissect my own bias towards male director’s portrayal of a woman/femme identifying individual having a breakdown because so many of my favorite films are about breakdowns, but they’re mostly from male directors. Can a male accurately depict a woman’s breakdown without boxing her into the role of the “crazy female” whose issues are often trivialized? Should the term hysteria be reclaimed by woman identifying individuals? The academic subjects this relates to are psychology, gender studies (mostly gender identity and sexuality), and film.