The Celluloid Ceiling: Thoughts From Five Women Who Broke Through
by Peter Knegt (October 22, 2009)
"Bright Star" producer and longtime Jane Campion collaborator Jan Chapman, "Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire" producer Lisa Cortes, "She, A Chinese" director Xiaolu Guo, Finola Dwyer, producer of "An Education," "Kicks" director Lindy Heymann and panel moderator Briony Hanson at "Snipping Away at the Celluloid Closet," a discussion put on at the London Film Festival last night. Photo courtesy of the festival.
Last night at the London Film Festival, to an audience of possibly 90% women, a lively and at times quite provocative discussion went down about a topic that’s come up quite a bit this year - women and filmmaking. 2009 has been seen by many as landmark film for female-directed, written or produced cinema, which certainly finds evidence London’s programming. To name but a few: Lone Scherfig’s “An Education,” Claire Denis’ “White Material,” Xiaolu Guo’s “She, A Chinese,” Jane Campion’s “Bright Star,” Lindy Heymann’s “Kicks,” Sophie Barthes’ “Cold Souls,” Mia Hansen-Løve’s “Father of My Children,” Catherine Breillat’s “Bluebeard” and Sam Taylor Wood’s “Nowhere Boy.” And in honor of this notable but still stunningly disproportionate trend, the festival put together “Snipping Away at the Celluloid Ceiling,” a panel featuring five women associated with some of those films to discuss whether or not there’s a “sea change” in female-associated filmmaking, and what exactly that characterization means in the first place. Noted by panel moderator Briony Hanson (director of London’s The Script Factory, a organization which offers programs for developing filmmakers) as “an embarrassment of riches,” the five women consisted of “She, A Chinese” director Xiaolu Guo, “Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” producer Lisa Cortes, “Bright Star” producer and longtime Jane Campion collaborator Jan Chapman, “Kicks” director Lindy Heymann, and Finola Dwyer, producer of “An Education” and chair of the BAFTA film committee. For a good ninety minutes, they shared their occasionally conflicting views on the state of women in film. indieWIRE was there, and has compiled a “best-of” compilation of quotes on some topics that were brought into their discussion. 1. Jan Chapman and Lindy Heymann: On If There’s Currently a Sea Change JC: “I must say its sort of cyclic. I mean, in Australia, five of the twenty-one features that were made this year were made by women. Which is pretty good, unfortunately… I feel like at the moment that it does feel like there are more women directors around. But there’s always this stunning image in my mind, which is when I went with Jane [Campion, the only female winner of the Palme d’Or] to the 60th anniversary of Cannes. You saw everyone who won a Palme d’Or up on the stage, and there was one woman. I cannot forget that image. I think we’ve got to face the fact that the percentages are not really in our favor.” LH: “But there’s very few mediocre female directors. I know that sounds a bit glib, but it’s true. When we talk about male directors, how many of them are actually fantastic!? But then when you look at examples of women… Maybe it’s just that women don’t want to put themselves out there if they don’t feel they are the best.”
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Magnificent story. Wonderful. Thanks!!!!