Lady Macbeth Was Never A Girl reflects the rigid gender binaries that secondary school reinforces, gently and tangibly dipping into a student’s discomfort.
As emerging filmmakers, Francesca McBride and Dannie Dart have delivered a remarkably poised 8-minute short. Well-shaped and well-conceived, the film has already been officially selected at the Sea Change Film Festival and received recognition at Brighton Rocks, only midway through the festival season. Lady Macbeth Was Never A Girl reflects the rigid gender binaries that secondary school reinforces, gently and tangibly dipping into a student’s discomfort.
The film centres on Jessica, a 15-year-old student grappling with the rigidity of gender binaries in everyday school life. Through an English class on Macbeth, a game of football and a pair of abandoned sweatpants, Jessica’s perceptions of gender conformity are shaped. They are caught between the way they feel and the way they are told to feel, as gender roles and uniform rules are imposed. The short piece ends in a subtle defiance of these structures, leaving Jessica with a newfound self-assurance.
Visually and sonically, it is a soft, thoughtful work. The short is quiet, with the broader discussion spoken in only so many words and unfolding, instead, through longing glances and tangible items. Each shot is equally thoughtful and executed with precision, with warm hues that reflect the 1990s setting and lend an intimate feel to Jessica’s experience.
McBride’s direction displays restraint and confidence, tackling difficult, personal themes with nuance, creating a tender picture of evolving gender identity and adolescence that stands as an impressive addition to Francesca McBride and Dannie Dart’s growing Left Eddy and Hidden Voice Productions.
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