Pushing Limitations this Women’s History Month with Lauren Augarten
Lauren Augarten
Women have been left out from our history and overlooked far too often. Women’s History Month is a time to showcase the talent and creativity that lives within our female-identifying community.
Revry honors the contributions made by women to our history and society to provide recognition and encouragement of a more inclusive future. Directors, actresses, writers, and more; we’ll be interviewing creative and inspirational women who make a difference with their art.
Lauren Augarten is a writer, producer, and director, known for her web series ‘Same Same’ which is based on her personal experience as a newly-out Queer woman in Brooklyn, New York. It won the LGBT Category award at the LA New Media Film Festival, and has been featured on the Huffington Post, Washington Post, and GLAAD.
What does Women’s History Month month mean to you?
I think historically, or at least in recent history, the idea of being a "woman" has had such limiting connotations. Women's History Month is about pushing against those limitations, recognizing those who came before us and the work they did, and looking to a future where being a woman is an expansive, inclusive and celebrated thing. It means working towards a world where we're actually equal, instead of assumed to be equal but statistically still underrepresented in every profession and position of power. Where the term "woman" includes all those who identify with it.
There are so many unacknowledged women who made history. Is there a women creator that has impacted your work?
Oh my goodness, so many! A few people I love - French author Violette Leduc. She was an incredible and prolific writer whose work was greatly censored because it centered female sexuality and desire. Octavia Butler, an absolute genius who understands humanity better than almost anyone I've ever read. Lucía Puenzo, an Argentinian filmmaker whose exploration of gender and identity is subtle, observant and so relatable. Tara June Winch, an Aboriginal Australian writer based in France who I can't get enough of. She's someone who straddles many different worlds, which I relate to strongly. Also a huge fan of Pamela Adlon's work (my god Better Things is so good), enby writer Andrea Gibson's heartbreaking/heartmaking poetry. All these people push and expand the idea of what it is to be a woman, and refuse to be defined by others.
History is inspirational to future generations. What advice would you give the next generation of women creators?
Persist.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Revry has curated a powerful collection of stories told by female artists featuring films, TV series, music, and more.
