Laura Mulvey has changed the way generations see cinema. A British filmmaker, theorist, and academic, she became known in the 1970s for her groundbreaking essay Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, which introduced the idea of the “male gaze.” Through both her writing and films, she challenged how women are shown on screen and helped shape modern feminist and queer film theory. For many filmmakers, her work became a guide to understanding not just who is being seen in film, but who gets to look.

Fifty years after that essay first appeared, Mulvey has been honoured with the BFI Fellowship, the British Film Institute’s highest recognition.

The award was presented at BFI Southbank on Tuesday evening by artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien, her long-time friend and collaborator. The night included a live conversation between Mulvey and film critic B. Ruby Rich, reflecting on her life’s work and the lasting impact of feminist film theory.

Mulvey’s contribution to cinema is difficult to overstate. Her writing changed how we think about images, gender, and desire, influencing generations of filmmakers, scholars, and audiences. The concept of the “male gaze”, once a radical challenge to Hollywood’s norms, has now become a key part of cultural discussion.

Accepting the Fellowship, Mulvey said she was “very touched and honoured”, calling the recognition “extraordinarily unexpected.” She reflected on how scholarship, once seen as separate from filmmaking, has now become part of the cinematic conversation: “As I see it, the addition of my name to this list has introduced a new category of filmic achievement, scholarship.”

Sir Isaac Julien praised her influence not only on the screen but also in classrooms and creative spaces around the world. “She was, and still is, the Virginia Woolf of film studies,” he said. “Laura taught us that cinema is political, that theory can be exciting, and that looking, really looking, can change everything.”

Among the guests were filmmakers Joanna Hogg, Sally Potter, and Rebecca O’Brien, along with a tribute reel that included messages from Todd Haynes, Mark Cousins, and Isa Mazzei.

Mulvey now joins a distinguished circle of BFI Fellows that includes Tilda Swinton, Thelma Schoonmaker, Derek Jarman, and Sir Christopher Nolan.

The celebration continues with Laura Mulvey: Thinking Through Film, a special season running at BFI Southbank and on BFI Player until the end of November, followed by her handpicked Big Screen Classics in December.

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Words by Lex Melony. Photo credits: Tim Whitby