The Cinematheque

Vancouver Premiere

Canadian filmmaker Gina Hara’s personal and very timely documentary examines the hidden half—the female half—of fan culture. Yet when Hara sets out to make her film about female geeks and nerds—gamers, cosplayers, manga artists, fan-girl podcasters and bloggers, otaku, even a NASA rocket scientist—she finds that many women are content to remain hidden—or, at least, reluctant to appear on camera. Why? Because, in the aftermath of the Gamergate sexism controversy, they fear cyberbullying and online harassment. Hara is even warned that she too will be targeted by the trolls when the film comes out. Intent on exploring geekdom as a form of community, the intrepid young filmmaker presses on. Geek Girls is a compelling account of outcasts searching for acceptance and self-acceptance; of marginalization and ostracization within already-marginalized subcultures; and of smart, nerdy nonconformists empowered (and sometimes embarrassed) by their eccentric passions.