This past week, the university featured student Kate Joyce’s senior project, “Swallowing Frogs,” which explores the theme of feminine rage.
This innovative showcase not only represents the culmination of her undergraduate studies but also invites audiences to engage with her investigation and interpretation of how women navigate and control their anger.
Set up in Richmond’s Film and TV Studio, the display consisted of two films, one projected onto the corners of the studio and one on a 1990s inspired vintage television set. Viewers could sit down in either area to observe Kate’s work.
The showcase’s title, drawn from a phrase used by Northern Brazilian women, encapsulates its core message. “Swallowing frogs” refers to the act of silently enduring unfair treatment while suppressing feelings of anger and frustration. This concept is vividly illustrated through interviews with five women, including Kate herself, alongside short conceptual performances projected on separate walls that converge in a corner, positioning the viewer at the intersection of these narratives. The stylistic choice of incorporating abrupt disruptions throughout the film symbolises the struggles expressed in the interviews.
The television set in the other corner displayed a film with Edward, a soft toy that Kate relates to her childhood, as the subject of focus. Viewers wore headphones to experience this film, creating immediate intimacy with Kate’s childhood as if we were experiencing it ourselves.
Kate, pictured below, aimed to create a project that sustained her interest over the year-long process of production. “I wanted to create a feminist piece that was artistic instead of political,” she explained. Securing interviews with 20 women—from intriguing strangers to a beloved author—proved challenging, as the topics addressed were deeply personal. Reflecting on the project’s evolution, Kate remarked, “…[the project] is not exactly what I had in mind, but I’m glad that it isn’t because all the changes I have had to make have made it better.”
Richard Bevan, the Programme Director of Film & Photography at Richmond and supervisor for this project, commended Kate’s impressive journey. “[Kate] came in [to her very first film class at the university] already super impressive,“ he noted, emphasising her remarkable progress throughout her studies.
The audience at the screening echoed Richard’s sentiments, expressing awe at the experience. Personally, as a media student with particular interest in film, I liked how raw and honest the interviews were, in stark contrast to the scripted performances right alongside them, but both conveying the same sentiments. It highlighted the need of better representation and depiction of women and their struggles. Notably, a piece of dialogue from one of the interviews expressed how it is important for feminine rage to be used in a positive way that is uplifting to oneself and other women. This has stayed with me after attending the exhibition.
This senior project marks a significant achievement in Kate’s academic journey — her final project before graduation at Richmond. Her exceptional talent in filmmaking speaks for itself, and will take her incredible places at Richmond and beyond.
