
JELLY FILM
Donation protected
Jelly is about the feeling of being at the center of a feminist space and knowing none of it is meant for you, and when inclusivity borders on exploitation.
Jelly has been a passion project of mine since I wrote the first draft at seventeen years old. I’ve been a part of several feminist circles where I quickly realized I was their token brown girl, there to validate their benevolent exploitation. I’ve been involved in feminist spaces my entire life and I’ve witnessed the warping of feminism as it’s been repackaged by celebrities, influencers and even more independent artists who realized they could profit from it. It got me thinking about this well-meaning, young generation of feminists who want to find community, but are misguided by companies whose real intentions are to get them to buy into the same dangerous narrative under the guise of empowerment. What are the lasting effects of superficial and aestheticized feminism? And why is it starting to feel like a cult?
Feminism and activism saturating the mainstream has been a great opportunity to explore female narratives. With the abundance of diverse stories coming to the surface, now is the time to explore the nuances of the female experience. What is femininity? How are different women benefiting from or being hurt by the efforts to reform or destroy the patriarchy? Is the mainstream feminist movement catering to all women, or does it only have one type of woman in mind? What is the “female” experience to you?
This project has given me a voice. I don’t feel I’ve ever seen a piece of media that has understood this part of this experience I know is common for any woman in a minority group. This project is also employing several women, people of color and trans people. With this budget we can make sure that all of the incredible up and coming artists that are a part of this project get the compensation they deserve. Any contribution is of incredible help and very much appreciated. And I ultimately hope this project can do for you what it has done for me.
Thank you.
Ariela Barer (writer/director/executive producer)
Jelly has been a passion project of mine since I wrote the first draft at seventeen years old. I’ve been a part of several feminist circles where I quickly realized I was their token brown girl, there to validate their benevolent exploitation. I’ve been involved in feminist spaces my entire life and I’ve witnessed the warping of feminism as it’s been repackaged by celebrities, influencers and even more independent artists who realized they could profit from it. It got me thinking about this well-meaning, young generation of feminists who want to find community, but are misguided by companies whose real intentions are to get them to buy into the same dangerous narrative under the guise of empowerment. What are the lasting effects of superficial and aestheticized feminism? And why is it starting to feel like a cult?
Feminism and activism saturating the mainstream has been a great opportunity to explore female narratives. With the abundance of diverse stories coming to the surface, now is the time to explore the nuances of the female experience. What is femininity? How are different women benefiting from or being hurt by the efforts to reform or destroy the patriarchy? Is the mainstream feminist movement catering to all women, or does it only have one type of woman in mind? What is the “female” experience to you?
This project has given me a voice. I don’t feel I’ve ever seen a piece of media that has understood this part of this experience I know is common for any woman in a minority group. This project is also employing several women, people of color and trans people. With this budget we can make sure that all of the incredible up and coming artists that are a part of this project get the compensation they deserve. Any contribution is of incredible help and very much appreciated. And I ultimately hope this project can do for you what it has done for me.
Thank you.
Ariela Barer (writer/director/executive producer)
Organizer
Jamie Dolan
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA