A Problem Like Maria
I know that out of all of the small decisions one can make about one's work, titling is often the most important. It's the different between someone being interested and not and ultimately, between seeing it or not. So this quarter I've been struggling a lot to come up with a name that is catchy and not-too-academic but reflects the complexity of the situation. I've also be working my hardest to avoid puns or cliches which pretty much eliminated any mention of "habit" in the title (my only really good lead). So I have been thinking and thinking and thinking and then I realize that in the back of my mind the song "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" is looping in the back of my head and then, I think it hits me.
A Problem Like Maria.
Well, maybe it's only on the shortlist, but so far the frontrunner. Before I explain it any further, please note your initial reaction so you don't become too invested in my way of thinking.
Well, I (perhaps falsely) assume that most people have seen The Sound of Music -- the most famous pop culture depiction of nuns of all time. In the beginning of the Sound of Music, we are presented with Maria - a devotely religious nun with a rebellious spirit who challenges the conventions of the sisterhood and follows her heart. The older nuns, disapprovingly, sing the song "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" and condemn her actions. Maria leaves at the end of the movie, like the majority of the religious sisters in the Catholic church do, to get married. But the core of her "problem" is the same thing I am attempting to depict in my documentary -- the ways in which these women defy stereotypes and shake things up within the institution.
Does this require too much previous knowledge of analysis? What if I explained it a little in my piece, or included a clip from The Sound of Music?