Marleen Gorris

Marleen Gorris (born 9 December 1948) is a Dutch former writer and director. Gorris is known as an outspoken feminist and supporter of gay and lesbian issues which is reflected in much of her work. Her film, Antonia's Line, won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1995

Early life Marleen Gorris was born on 9 December 1948 in Roermond in the Netherlands. She was born to Protestant, working-class parents in the Catholic southern part of the Netherlands. Gorris studied drama at home and abroad.

Career It was not until the age of 30 that Gorris began writing scripts. She took her first effort to the Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman, hoping to interest her in directing it. Akerman, however, told Gorris that she must make the film herself. The result, A Question of Silence (1982), caused considerable international controversy telling a story through the eyes of a female psychiatrist whose job it was to question three women who had spontaneously murdered a man casually. Some interpreted the film's feminist message to be about pent up "female rage" and dissatisfaction with a patriarchal system that boiled over the surface while other claimed it went too far and couldn't be taken seriously. The film was well received for its quality but still shocked many who watched it for its lack of condemnation of the murderers.

Soon after the success of her first film, Gorris released her second: Broken Mirrors (1984). The film hold similarities to A Question of Silence both in production and in theme though many found Broken Mirrors less impactful. Large portions of the cast and crew, including the leading women, crossed over to work on this with her. Broken Mirrors explores female viewpoint and experiences just like A Question of Silence, though this time with a larger focus on the oppressive nature of the patriarchy and power dynamics within it. She did not make another film until The Last Island (1990). The film yet again tells a story of violence where a group of plane crash survivors are marooned on an island; the men turn on each other until only the two women remain alone and stranded.

In June 2017, Gorris announced she had retired from making films. Two years prior, she was diagnosed with a burnout after she had collapsed while on set shooting Tulipani, Love, Honour and a Bicycle. Mike van Diem, like Gorris an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film winner, would later take over as director.

Style and Themes Gorris often tackles similar themes with her films including, but not limited to; feminist critique of the patriarchy, female community and solidarity, violence as a metaphor, allegorical settings, and genre subversion. Much of her style roots in Gorris's need to question the patriarchy.

Legacy In 2012 the London Feminist Film Festival chose A Question of Silence as their 'Feminist Classic' and celebrated it with a 30th anniversary screening of the film. It has since been screened frequently in the UK, most recently at University College London University College London in 2019 and at the Leeds International Film Festival in 2023. By not only being the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but also winning such an award with an allegorical feminist film that represents queer people, has left a difinitive mark on the world of film.

Personal life Marleen Gorris came out as a lesbian after the success of Antonia's Line. Her partner, Maria Uitdehaag, served in its production as first assistant director, and was mentioned by Gorris in her Academy Award acceptance speech.

Filmography Film Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes 1982 A Question of Silence (De stilte rond Christine M.) Golden Calf for Best Film 1984 Broken Mirrors (Gebroken spiegels) 1990 The Last Island 1995 Antonia's Line (Antonia) 1997 Mrs Dalloway Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Screenplay 2000 The Luzhin Defence 2003 Carolina 2009 Within the Whirlwind 2017 Tulipani, Love, Honour and a Bicycle

Television Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes 1983 De geest van gras (The Spirit of Grass) TV movie 1993 Verhalen van de straat (Stories of the Street) 5 episodes 2007 The L Word Episode: "Livin' La Vida Loca" 2011 Rembrandt en ik (Rembrandt and Me) Director: 4 episodes; Writer: 1 episode

Awards and nominations (De stilte rond Christine M.)