Campion laments lack of female directors

[Ovader]

Here is a news item about Jane Campion that got me blocked from a friend I have on Facebook. My friend is a female film director and she and I had an online discussion about female filmmakers being denied the opportunity to make films in Hollywood. I am not a Hollywood insider nor is she but I offered the possibility that perhaps female filmmakers are not presenting film projects to the producers/studios that are not as commercially viable as the current crop of sequels, prequels, remakes and adaptations of comic books & TV series. My friend used the following remark in the articles to state her case that Hollywood is prejudiced against female filmmakers.

A survey released last year said U.S. female directors made only 7 percent of the 250 highest-grossing films in 2005.

I suggested that there may have been more films by women that year but the films did not fall into the top 250 as listed in the survey. It seems she does not want to believe there is more to the issue concerning Hollywood and female filmmakers besides prejudice. Too bad I was blocked from her discussion because I thought she and I and fellow filmmakers in my province could learn more about the issue.

Anyone here have any insight to this article? Is it as black and white as my friend believes?

[domino harvey]

Fewer films are directed by women, therefore fewer "top grossing" films are directed by women. I mean, it's really that simple isn't it.

This really insulted me though:

But Campion said some men are "shocked" by that female perspective. "They see that women have a different way of seeing the world altogether," she said.

Let's lump men together, and then let's lump women together, and then isn't that a huge step forward. You can't lament sexual politics while operating under their laws, Ms. Campion.

[Belmondo]

Legally, the playing field is level, and legally, women and minorities have equal opportunity. However it is painfully naive to think women have equal opportunity in the male dominated - bottom line - CGI infatuated - violent - sex without emotion - pull down your pants and take out your rulers - world of moviemaking. Women are supposed to be sex objects and men are supposed to make things blow up. That's the way God made us and that's the way Hollywood sees it.
A civil rights spokesman once said "there is not much more white society can do for you - if you want equal rights, go out there and take them".

[exte]

But Campion said some men are "shocked" by that female perspective. "They see that women have a different way of seeing the world altogether," she said.

Let's lump men together, and then let's lump women together, and then isn't that a huge step forward. You can't lament sexual politics while operating under their laws, Ms. Campion.

Take a deep breath, Domino. She also said this:

"When I think of what's fantastic about women, it's their generosity, their intuitiveness, their capacity to trust emotions, to be emotional, to nurture, to promote peace, to care about the planet's environment so their children can inherit it," she said. "Those qualities aren't sexy for guys, but (they're) quite natural in women."

[miless]

"When I think of what's fantastic about women, it's their generosity, their intuitiveness, their capacity to trust emotions, to be emotional, to nurture, to promote peace, to care about the planet's environment so their children can inherit it," she said. "Those qualities aren't sexy for guys, but (they're) quite natural in women."

I just have one question:
where do Kathryn Bigelow, Penelope Spheeris and Mary Harron fit into all of this?

[Don Lope de Aguirre]

Ovader, is this discussion confined to Hollywood? If so, I can not think of a greater complement than to have so few women film makers making such inane rubbish! Is it somehow a badge of honour to have so many men working in 'contemporary' Hollywood? What does this say about the 'male' intellect?

[domino harvey]

Take a deep breath, Domino. She also said this:

"When I think of what's fantastic about women, it's their generosity, their intuitiveness, their capacity to trust emotions, to be emotional, to nurture, to promote peace, to care about the planet's environment so their children can inherit it," she said. "Those qualities aren't sexy for guys, but (they're) quite natural in women."

But who says they're not "sexy" for guys? If I rephrased what she says above and posted it in the Ingmar Bergman thread, would anyone bat an eye? All her arguments fall under tired stereotyping.

[hangthadj]

Funny, the arts theater down the street from me right now has on its two main screens...

Waitress by Adrienne Shelly
Away from Her by Sarah Polley

I doubt either will be top grossing films, but there are good films and very well received films by female directors making their way to the screens.

[Matt]

There are more female directors now than ever before. To echo hangthadj, the Landmark cinemas in Minneapolis are currently playing 4 films by women: Waitress, Red Road, The Namesake, and Away from Her. That's 4 out of 11 total films being shown. But these are all small, low-budget films. At the large multiplex near me, there are 0 films out of 17 being shown that were directed by women. If there was true parity in all levels of filmmaking, there would be just as many indie films as mainstream films directed by women and just as many total films directed by women as by men.

What Campion seems to be bemoaning is that there are very few Betty Thomases, Penny Marshalls, and Nora Ephrons (let's bracket considerations of talent for the time being) who can get a big-budget film greenlit. Her broad generalizations about the sexes are unfortunate, but the basic idea behind them is still valid. Still, who does she want to be directing these blockbuster hits? It's not as if her own films hew closely to the mainstream formula.

[domino harvey]

But isn't that idea flawed? You learn early in high school that a survey is meaningless unless you know the pool it draws from. How many female directors have attempted to make big budget megaplex-bound films in the past year? That few females produced huge hits last year is indicative of nothing beyond the obvious.

[skuhn8]

And are we supposed to be blaming the studios for this? When you were in high school how many girls did you know of who were actively interested in cinema as cinema or movie making in general? I knew the girls in my graduating class quite well. I can assure you there was zero interest. Aspiring actresses, a few. But the technical side of things, behind the camera, etc. Zero. And that's where it starts, no? None of my male classmates went into the studios either, but the year after me there were three (Amityville Horror remake: nice work boys, geez). I don't see how looking at statistics on the result end amounts to anything. The bigger question is why young women don't want to get involved. It's not like guidance counselors are telling aspiring female directors to take their shoes off and get back into the kitchen.

[tavernier]

Campion should be bemoaning the lack of female posters on this forum.

[Poncho Punch]

And are we supposed to be blaming the studios for this? When you were in high school how many girls did you know of who were actively interested in cinema as cinema or movie making in general? I knew the girls in my graduating class quite well. I can assure you there was zero interest. Aspiring actresses, a few. But the technical side of things, behind the camera, etc. Zero. And that's where it starts, no? None of my male classmates went into the studios either, but the year after me there were three (Amityville Horror remake: nice work boys, geez). I don't see how looking at statistics on the result end amounts to anything. The bigger question is why young women don't want to get involved. It's not like guidance counselors are telling aspiring female directors to take their shoes off and get back into the kitchen.

The film programs here at the University of British Columbia are well-represented by both sexes. More than half of the current Film Production students (fourth-year students in a third- and fourth-year program that, incidentally, is not taking any students on next year or in the foreseeable future, and will very likely be cut altogether) are female, and at least half -- and probably a fair bit more than that -- of the Film Studies students are female as well.

[GringoTex]

The film programs here at the University of British Columbia are well-represented by both sexes. More than half of the current Film Production students (fourth-year students in a third- and fourth-year program that, incidentally, is not taking any students on next year or in the foreseeable future, and will very likely be cut altogether) are female

This is true of almost every film production department and has been for 20 years.

[hangthadj]

Campion should be bemoaning the lack of female posters on this forum.

that would mean a female poster was reading this forum.

[foggy eyes]

Only one at Cannes. And, yes, it's Jane Campion.

[Oedipax]

Only one at Cannes. And, yes, it's Jane Campion.

At least we'll (probably) have Claire Denis next year.

[exte]

Africa ignored at Cannes
22/05/2007 17:16 - (SA)

Cannes - With not a single African film selected to compete for the top Cannes awards in a decade, is the world's biggest film fest discriminating against movies from the continent, the African Filmmakers Producers Guild asked on Monday.

"Is this pure chance or linked to colour discrimination against our images?" the Guild said in a statement.

It also pointed out that of the 35 directors asked to participate in a special film tribute to Cannes' 60th anniversary which was released on Sunday - "To Each His Own Cinema" - not a single one was African.

'No worthy film-makers?'

"Without questioning the Cannes festival's right to sovereign choices, we note also that Africa's point of view is of no interest."

"Is this because we have no worthy film-makers?"

The French film production and distribution industry that African film-makers were closely linked to was discriminatory, the Guild added, "enclosing us increasingly in a ghetto."

No immediate comment was available from festival organisers.

[domino harvey]

My film wasn't shown at Cannes, so therefore Cannes is discriminating against me

[skuhn8]

Africa ignored at Cannes

Cannes - With not a single African film selected to compete for the top Cannes awards in a decade, is the world's biggest film fest discriminating against movies from the continent, the African Filmmakers Producers Guild asked on Monday.

"Is this pure chance or linked to colour discrimination against our images?" the Guild said in a statement.

It also pointed out that of the 35 directors asked to participate in a special film tribute to Cannes' 60th anniversary which was released on Sunday - "To Each His Own Cinema" - not a single one was African.

'No worthy film-makers?'

"Without questioning the Cannes festival's right to sovereign choices, we note also that Africa's point of view is of no interest."

"Is this because we have no worthy film-makers?"

The French film production and distribution industry that African film-makers were closely linked to was discriminatory, the Guild added, "enclosing us increasingly in a ghetto."

No immediate comment was available from festival organisers.

Their gripe would have a lot more validity if they cited some specific African films from the past year that they feel were Cannes-worthy. Anyone can look at a list and cry foul if underrepresented.

[justeleblanc]

Only one at Cannes. And, yes, it's Jane Campion.

Is Catherine Breillat a man?

[Lemmy Caution]

Their gripe would have a lot more validity if they cited some specific African films from the past year that they feel were Cannes-worthy. Anyone can look at a list and cry foul if underrepresented.

Beyond this year, they were also disappointed that no Africans were included in a Cannes retrospective which included 35 directors.

I think they were speaking to an increased marginalization/disinterest in African films, which is probably partly to do with the rise of Asian cinema, as well as other countries, such as Romania.

But I haven't looked at the list of Cannes films for this year, nor which 35 directors were invited (no doubt heavy on French filmmakers).

[foggy eyes]

Is Catherine Breillat a man?

I doubt it! Kira Cochrane, whoever she is, clearly has an agenda. But, like Campion's argument, the basic thrust of the article is pretty valid.

[Barmy]

I would argue that women actually get special treatment, at least in the fest context. This is abundantly clear in the various fests in NYC focussing on a particular country (e.g. France, Spain) where a huge percentage (sometimes, omg, approaching 50%) of the flicks are directed by dudettes. And the blurbs always make sure to highlight that the director is a chick.

And if the indie women stopped making boring films about the "issue" of "being" a woman or whatever, then maybe people would go see them.

Look at the canonical list of directors. How many of the top 100 are women? Maybe 2 or 3, at best. In any event, I'm more interested in what's on screen than what's between the director's legs.

[miless]

Africa ignored at Cannes
22/05/2007 17:16 - (SA)

Cannes - With not a single African film selected to compete for the top Cannes awards in a decade, is the world's biggest film fest discriminating against movies from the continent, the African Filmmakers Producers Guild asked on Monday.

"Is this pure chance or linked to colour discrimination against our images?" the Guild said in a statement.

It also pointed out that of the 35 directors asked to participate in a special film tribute to Cannes' 60th anniversary which was released on Sunday - "To Each His Own Cinema" - not a single one was African.

'No worthy film-makers?'

"Without questioning the Cannes festival's right to sovereign choices, we note also that Africa's point of view is of no interest."

"Is this because we have no worthy film-makers?"

The French film production and distribution industry that African film-makers were closely linked to was discriminatory, the Guild added, "enclosing us increasingly in a ghetto."

No immediate comment was available from festival organisers.

And, they're wrong... as Indigènes (Days of Glory) was an official selection contender last year (and even won two awards)... and it's from Algeria... unless the folks who are complaining are not counting Saharan Africa (which in its own way could be seen as discriminatory)