Pre/texts : an introduction. Films discussed : Fatima and Take off -- Mythic discourse. Films discussed : The lady from Shanghai ; Riddles of the sphinx -- The lives of performers : the actress as signifier. Films discussed : Persona ; The girls -- Kiss me deadly : heterosexual romance. Films discussed : Letter from an unknown woman ; Straight through the heart ; Recital -- Shall we dance? : woman and the musical. Films discussed : Dames ; Dance, girl, dance ; Strange ditties ; Primitive movers ; The eighties -- Sisters : the divided self. Films discussed : A stolen life ; Dark mirror ; Cobra woman ; The bad sister ; Sisters, or the balance of happiness -- Girl groups : female friendship. Films discussed : Rich and famous ; Girlfriends -- Women in love : the theme of lesbianism. Films discussed : Sotto, sotto ; Lianna -- Murder, she wrote : women who kill. Films discussed : Violette ; A question of silence -- The dialogic text : an epilogue. Films discussed : The man who envied women