The term 'male gaze' was first coined in the 1970s to describe what happens to all of us when the majority of our entertainment has been created by men. The viewer is forced to see female characters through a male lens, which distorts how all of us see women, and even how women see themselves. Typically, the keepers of film history and writers of film criticism have also been men. Yet, since the very birth of cinema, women have been making movies. So, what does the world look like through the 'female gaze'? This is the question Alicia Malone poses, as she presents a collection of essays on fifty-two movies made by women -- films that encompass various eras, nationalities, and stories -- and explores these women's unique voices and lives as they shaped the films they made and influenced the film world.

The consequences of feminism (1906) -- Holly Weaver on La souriante Madame Beudet (1922) -- Dance, girl, dance (1940) -- Sumeyye Korkaya on Meshes of the afternoon (1943) -- Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) -- Daisies (1966) -- Jenna Ipcar on The heartbreak kid (1972) -- Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels (1975) -- The lost honor of Katharina Blum (1975) -- Seven beauties (1975) -- Tomris Laffly on News from home (1977) -- Farran Smith Nehme on Desperately seeking Susan (1985) -- My brilliant career (1979) -- Amy Nicholson on The decline of Western civilization I & II (1981 & 1988) -- Miri Jedeikin on Big (1988) -- Tiffany Vazquez on Paris is burning (1991) -- Daughters of the dust (1991) -- Point Break (1991) -- Orlando (1992) -- Jen Yamato on A league of their own (1992) -- The piano (1993) -- Roth Cornet on The piano (1993) -- Marya Gates on Little women (1994) -- Piya Sinha-Roy on Clueless (1995) -- The watermelon woman (1996) -- Jamie Broadnax on Eve's bayou (1997) -- Monica Castillo on Eve's bayou (1997) -- The virgin suicides (1999) -- Clarke Wolfe on American psycho (2000) -- Jessie Maltin on Songcatcher (2000) -- Whale rider (2002) -- Real women have curves (2002) -- Bend it like Beckham (2002) -- Alana Wulff on Thirteen (2003) -- April Wolfe on Innocence (2004) -- The headless woman (2008) -- Wendy and Lucy (2008) -- Women without men (2009) -- Moira Macdonald on Bright star (2009) -- Fish tank (2009) -- The kids are all right (2010) -- We need to talk about Kevin (2011) -- Wadjda (2012) -- The Babadook (2014) -- Grae Drake on The Babadook (2014) -- Girlhood (2014) -- Aline Dolinh on The lure (2015) -- Mustang (2015) -- Danielle Solzman on The edge of seventeen (2016) -- Lady Bird (2017) -- Aisha Harris on Lemon (2017) -- Merritt Mecham on My happy family (2017) -- The rider (2017) -- Carla Renata on A wrinkle in time (2018).