AustLit

'Brazen Hussies is an ambitious documentary. With first-time writer/director Catherine Dwyer at the helm, it attempts to trace the women’s movement from 1965 to 1975. The documentary begins by introducing the viewer to the events that sparked the second-wave women’s movement in Australia. It then follows major events and key conflicts before ending the decade with the highs, and lows, of International Women’s Year in 1975. It adopts a traditional documentary format that moves through the decade chrono-thematically and weaves footage and images with talking head style interviews. Brazen Hussies is fast-paced and utilises energetic DIY-style graphics as well as whip-smart editing to tell an engaging story. For example, as Elizabeth Reid – women’s advisor to former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam – described the clothes that she had worn to a meeting with Whitlam at The Lodge – a Laura Ashley dress over underpants with the women’s liberation symbol on the front – a DIY-style graphic depicted a woman lifting up her dress to reveal bright red underpants with the design that Reid had described. While wearing underwear with a feminist logo may not seem subversive to a contemporary audience, the use of DIY-style graphics was a punchy and playful way to convey how brazen Reid would have felt.' (Introduction)