AN EXERCISE IN WORLDMAKING 2009 - ISS

152 TERESA LORENA JOPSON
shot from a slightly high angle that makes explicit their effort of dressing
in martial arts clothes and their relaxed spectators in the background.
The audience’ engagement with the woman is only offered. While her
chest is frontal to the camera, her gaze diverts attention. The master narrative
is that women are physically able in the martial arts. This ability is
also transferable to actual military combat. The image reiterates the progressive
stance of the CPP-NPA in terms of gender relationships. The
audience is reminded about gender relations and is likely to agree that
women in the NPA are competent fighters.
Image three is a medium close-up of an NPA member on a sniper
course. The woman appears to be calm as she intently focuses her aim.
The butt of the firearm she is using is wrapped in masking tape, suggesting
the scarcity of NPA resources but also their resourcefulness. The
shot is a close-up yet its angle does not fully disclose the identity of the
woman fighter, important for the security of those featured in this compilation.
Its engagement with the audience is only offered, but the tight
shot focus our attention to the central image.
Image 3. SURE SHOTS:
Sniper courses are among the specialized
military trainings the NPA gives. Ka Johan,
one of the top graduates of her class,
takes aim.
In the background we see that
the woman is alongside other
trainees. We can assume that the
main subject of the photo, Ka Johan,
is practicing with other NPA
members, majority of whom are
males. The caption of the photo
tells us that Ka Johan is one of
the best sharp shooters in her
class. The main narrative of this
photo would again be the ability
of women to excel as fighters
within the NPA. Like the first two
photos, this one adds credibility
to the CPP in being gender sensitive
that it feels no need to comment on the shooter’s gender. At the
same time, women fighters also add an important aspect to the image of
the CPP and the NPA – it negates the stereotype of the army as a group
of war-freak armed men. The audience will then have the image of calm
Ka Johan in mind when they think of NPA snipers. The breaking of the