Dear Mrs. Potter:
My name is Mariafernanda Fernández, I’m a Mexican art history student and I chose the movie Yes to analyze for my Feminism class.
I was wondering if you are able to answer some questions for me.
First I was impressed by the accuracy with which you perceive little details like gestures and corporal language. Actually those bodily references throughout the film are what intrigue me the most.
The question that arose immediately was if your condition as a woman has anything to do with this particular interest in the human body –and its waste?
Do you believe that other male directors are or have been as capable of understanding the body the way you do?
Another thing that amazed me was the narrative. Usually we tend to forget the time we spend on self-reflection, and I think that the way you tell this story is mostly through inner time. I mean, the comparison between actions, and thoughts.
So time elongates and gives the spectator the impression that there’s a kind of “explicit silence”, represented in the way they act what they are thinking all the time within their relation. Do you think this narrative resource is due to womanhood or does perception of time is out of the gender question?
And finally, considering your diverse and long career as dance, choreographer, director, etc., I wanted to ask you if womanhood has been sometimes an advantage to get what you’ve wanted, professionally wise or if things are equally easy for women and men right now, and if you think you are a feminist artist?
Thank you for your time.
