Hysterical Females

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Set in an imagined Edwardian world, Hysterical Females follows Esther, a young woman navigating a surreal and oppressive environment shaped by patriarchal beliefs. The film responds to historical attitudes towards women, where suffragettes and others were dismissed as hysterical, irrational, or dangerous. Drawing on early surrealist ideas and the uncanny, the narrative is fragmented and disjointed, blending fantasy, discomfort and rebellion. Female figures are seen as dolls, objects and performers, manipulated not only by men but also by older women upholding the same systems. The work questions how much has really changed, revealing echoes of past control in today’s expectations.