ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the gendered dynamics of archives and databases in relation to women filmmakers of the long 1970s and the impact on film historiography and cultural memory. The selection of lives and works collected and preserved in archives is guided by national frameworks and gendered notions of authorship. Documentary filmmaker Zsóka Nestler (1944–2016) is a case in point—collaborating with husband Peter Nestler during the 1970s, she was involved in 24 documentary film and television productions but is largely unknown with her name missing from film history and documentary studies. Yet, her films are archived and restored and circulate internationally. The chapter discusses the limitations of established film scholarly concepts and what future directions within film and media studies a case like Zsóka Nestler opens. Spousal collaboration was common for women filmmakers during the 1970s; however, this practice has impacted archival legacies, credit attribution, and visibility. Curatorial practice should be understood also as a research practice that activates the archive of women’s filmmaking. The chapter asks how scholars can examine “creative networks” when they encounter challenges to find any sources at all, and how issues of erasure and marginalization can be addressed.
