For this issue we’re interested in all things SICK, be it physical ailments, mental illness, the politics of health and care, or the social ills that threaten to poison us. We’re also looking to explore women’s visions of “sick” (as in rad/cool) and “sick” (as in grotesque).
Tip! Please look over our past issues to get a sense of the kind of work we’re looking for and to ensure we haven’t already covered the film you’d like to write about. We’re looking for unique and unexplored angles!
Some films and angles to consider:
HIV and AIDS in film: How to Survive a Plague (2012), the films of David Wojnarowicz, Positive Women: Exposing Injustice (2012), BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017), Zero Patience (1993), Gia (1998), Boys on the Side (1995), Killing Patient Zero (2019), The Living End (1992)
Representations of illness and care: The House is Black (1963), A Horse is not a Metaphor (2009), No Home Movie (2015), illness in ‘weepies,’ Dear Doctor (2009), Discussions in Bioethics: Family Tree (1985), Clair Obscur (2016), Never Steady, Never Still (2017), We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), Girl, Interrupted (2009)
Representations of mental illness and addiction: Welcome to Me (2015), Saute ma ville (1963), An Angel at My Table (1990), Sweetie (1989), The Headless Woman (2008)
“Sick, brah!” – Subcultures and coolness in women’s films: The Decline of Western Civilization trilogy (1981, 1988, 1998), Point Break (1991), Daisies (1966), Persepolis (2007), Number 37 (2018), Homecoming (2019), Virus Tropical (2017), Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), Rafiki (2018), Skate Kitchen (2018)
Women’s portrayals of the grotesque: What’s in the darkness (2016), The Night Porter (1974), You Were Never Really Here (2018), Eve’s Bayou (1997), Seven Beauties (1975), In the Cut (2003), Jennifer’s Body (2009)
To submit: IN ONE PDF DOCUMENT send us your pitch of 300 words and three writing samples (please send links or, if no link is available, single-spaced articles no longer than 3000 words). Label the PDF document using this format: YourLastName_YourFirstName_FILM TITLE
The deadline for pitches is May 6th. We will be in touch regarding accepted pitches. Articles should be between 1500–2000 words. The deadline to submit first drafts of articles will be June 10th. Compensation in the form of an honorarium will be provided for contributors selected for the issue. Based on our current funding, cléo pays $125 CAD per article, $75 CAD per 750-1000 word Who We’re Watching piece, and $50 CAD to each roundtable participant).
Submissions and general inquiries: cleofilmjournal@gmail.com