When the Moon Waxes Red

In this collection of 14 essays, Trinh, a writer, feminist, and filmmaker, explores unconventional documentary filmmaking and literary techniques. Typically, documentary styles have kept a distance between subject and viewer, creating a sense of mastery in the viewer. By stressing form rather than content, boundaries of the acceptable in artform are transgressed, resulting in a nonlinear movement that leads the viewer into a profound experience that does not have to make sense. In this well-documented book, Trinh explores semiotic ideas of Michel Foucault and Roland Barthes, along with the works of Zora Neale Hurston and Helene Cixous, among others. Illustrated with footage from her films, the form of Trinh's book plays a major role in the presentation of its content. A wonderful volume, this is recommended for academic libraries, especially those that support programs in film and women's studies.
- Paula N. Arnold, Norwich Univ. Lib., Northfield, Vt.