The other day Allison Anders posted a link for a friend of hers that wrote about the current depressing statistics for women directors. WHERE ARE THE WOMEN DIRECTORS
I love Allison, ran into her a few months ago and actually had a great conversation about women in film and how tough it is but reading this post the other day just made me angry! Not at Allison or her friend or all the other women writing about how hard it is for women to get movies made but that there is to me this annoying rant without much action! I don’t just mean action making our own films, Allison is good at that and I know a lot of other gals continuing to create but there seems to be a disconnect that sets us women apart complaining but not REALLY supporting each other. We all know it’s hard to make movies especially with female stories and vision but if you do manage to get one in the can that is when we need help the most! Getting the world out and not abandon ship when seas are rough.
Sure, it’s important to know the facts and to be aware of the odds but what is making me mad is that women still hide out and seem to have a hard time owning their power in the business! For instance, men are team players, they endorse each other and have a different mentality when it comes to helping. I met a guy a few years back who had his first feature screen at Sundance and Martin Scorsese put his name on it to help this guy. Scorsese’s name made a difference and it was no skin off his back. A win for one is a win for the team! As women we are so afraid that if we take the time to help another we will loose something and that’s so not true. I know in my life when there is ever an opportunity to listen to someone and support them in anyway I am filled with energy and feel better about my work and the world.
Katherine Bigelow and Barbara Streisand
What would it be like to see Kathrine Bigelow or Barbara Streisand presents… for some upcoming female director it would help her get noticed, get press and who knows might even break the myth that women don’t have power in Hollywood! Two major studios in this town are run by women and you’d think they could at least squeeze out a couple of female driven stories written and directed by women and I’m not talking about girl stories or female protagonist who act like men but dare I say, real emotionally mature WOMEN with all our intelligence, wisdom and yes, beauty! Enough with the consolation prize, I want to see a woman win an Oscar for a film about a powerful woman! Let’s not forget why we love and make films, to change life’s perception.
I was at a party in Los Angeles last night that was a primarely French crowd but there were a few Americans and I spent the evening in passionate conversation with some men about films. They were smart men varied in age but all in agreement that character driven, “art house” films by women like Lynne Ramsey, Nicole Garcia or Allison Anders are most interesting to them.
Lynne Ramsey
So, I happen to be in a like minded crowd in a metropolitan city but I also believe that people, MEN, the general public are spoon fed cinema that is easy, non threating and commercial out of laziness and how can that change? Baby steps! One posting, screening, tweeting at a time. If women own their power and position to take a risk and help another woman who is starting out by just mentioning her in an interview, showing up to a screening and tweeting it can make a BIG diffrence! Easy stuff and it’s amazing how just a shift in perception can go a long way. I’m personally tired of complaining and if you are too then let’s be team players, see it through, support your local female filmmaker until she sick of hearing you saying great things about her! We seem to have no problem going on and on about men…Just a thought.
BTW, Beth Dewey just finished principle photography for her latest feature, DUMPED. Yay Beth!
