In the Scene

Jane Campion is one of the few women film-makers working today who has managed to create a unique body of work. A true independent film-maker, yet she has attracted A List Hollywood superstars to appear in her films. Who else but Jane Campion could have convinced a tattooed Harvey Keitel to run buck-naked through the New Zealand landscape in The Piano, or for the multi-award winning Kate Winslet to pee down her legs in the middle of the desert in Holy Smoke? Campion is an outspoken champion in recent debates about the lack of women in senior creative positions within the film industry. This is the first in our new series of introductory guides to contemporary filmmakers, In The Scene: Jane Campion is a must for film fans and students, particularly those interested in women and film, and the Oscar winner herself: one of only 4 women nominated for a Best Director Oscar. It covers all Campion's films from her early shorts to the recent TV series Top of the Lake: China Girl (2017). This book covers Jane Campion's remarkable career from her Palme D'or winning debut short film Peel to her recent return to television with Top of the Lake, reflecting on the influence of her study in anthropology as well as her formative years growing up in New Zealand.