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Amy Cheney Beach Led the Way for American Women Composers

Amy Cheney Beach piece
Amy Cheney Beach classified her work as ‘pioneer work’, and was the first American woman to write a symphony (the "Gaelic Symphony”).
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Two Centuries on, Clara Schumann Continues to Inspire

Composer Clara Wieck was born on September 13th, 1819 in Leipzig, Germany. From a young age, Clara was surrounded by music. Her mother, Marianne Tromlitz, was a very successful and talented singer. Her father, Friedrich Wieck, was comparable to Mozart’s father; both were teachers dedicated to building the musical careers of their children.read more.

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‘Daughters of the Dust’ Rises Again

Julie Dash's 1991 film, Daughters of the Dust, was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." It explores themes of life vs. death, and old vs. new. Set in 1902, Daughters of the Dust shows the difference between the people who remained living in their traditional lives on one of the islands off the coast of Georgia, and those who chose to emigrate and try a new life on the  mainland of America. 
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Lucrecia Martel’s ‘La Cienaga’ Explores Maria Virgine Visions, or Are They Delusions?

Mary’s essential qualities are faithfulness, devotion, humility, and purity. This imagery is in stark contrast to La Ciénaga, between the rampant mess of Mecha’s household against the gravitas that comes with Catholicism. Martel explores her favorite subject in the film––the troubled mind.
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A Ghost Army in a ‘Sleepwalking Land’ is a Story Worth Hearing

Prata’s work, Sleepwalking Land, is an adaptation of Mia Couto’s novel of the same name about wartime in Mozambique between 1977-1992 and the common people’s struggles to survive the conflict. Quite often, when a woman creates a film, she is labeled a “female filmmaker.” Her work is limited by her gender role and the stigma which comes attached to it. Men are not labeled in the same fashion. Teresa Prata, the director and writer of Sleepwalking Land, separates herself and her work from that label.
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Mica Levi invites the audience to experience the tone of films through powerful music

Mica Levi, also known as “Micachu”, was born just outside of London to a record collector and a professional cellist. Micachu played the violin since she was old enough to hold one, and attended the Purcell School on a scholarship given by the Music and Ballet scheme. After finishing Purcell, she went on to study composition at Guildhall School of Music and Dance, where she was awarded another scholarship. Here, she met Raisa Khan and Marc Pell, who later together formed “Micachu and the Shapes”. 
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