As a seasoned film enthusiast and advocate for gender equality in the film industry, I find myself deeply troubled by the recent events unfolding at Camerimage, a festival that should be celebrating the best of cinematography. The column by Marek Żydowicz, the festival director, has sparked an angry response from many, including Women in Cinematography and the British Society of Cinematographers.
At the upcoming opening of Camerimage, a well-known cinematography festival, Women in Cinematography – an organization advocating for more female cinematographers – is urging for substantial modifications. This year, the festival will screen the world premiere of “Rust.
The response to the situation stems from a contentious argument about an article penned by Marek Żydowicz, who is the festival director, in Cinematography World magazine. This article sparked accusations of sexism.
In the article, Żydowicz appeared to imply that an increased focus on female cinematographers and directors within the program might potentially prioritize “average film productions” over “exceptional works and talents with remarkable artistic accomplishments.
He posed the question: “Should we reject what is esteemed and valuable just to ‘make space’ for the necessity of social change?” He went on to argue: “Whilst festivals like Cannes, Berlin or Venice are criticized for their selections due to succumbing to or promoting [political or ideological trends], Camerimage remains committed to artistic values as the foremost criterion for qualifying and promoting film art.”
His column triggered an angry response from the British Society of Cinematographers, which wrote in an open letter to Żydowicz: “We are disheartened and angered by your profoundly misogynistic comments and aggressive tone, which we view as symptomatic of a deep-rooted prejudice. A film festival dedicated to the support and encouragement of cinematography and its practitioners deserves better.”
In reply to the BSC letter, Žydowicz countered by saying the accusations were “completely unfounded and downright disrespectful.” Moreover, he emphasized that respect for others has always been his top concern, and it continues to be a priority for our festival.
He clarified, “We’ve consistently aimed to highlight superior modern cinema, irrespective of its creator. This statement should be interpreted as such, and it bears no relation to disrespect towards women.
He ended by expressing that the BSC letter was based on a misinterpretation, and he mentioned that Camerimage had collaborated with Women in Cinematography to create a policy focusing on diversity and inclusion. This policy has been published on the festival’s official website.
Films directed by female cinematographers, such as “Mudbound,” “The Power of the Dog,” and notably “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which was completely absent from the festival, were left out of Camerimage’s competition. The organization posed the question: “Is it accurate for Camerimage to prioritize artistic merit if it overlooks these outstanding, critically-acclaimed works?” They pointed out that only 3.1% of films chosen for the main competition over a span of 30 years have been shot by women.
The film “Mudbound,” shot by Rachel Morrison, wasn’t considered for competition but instead was screened separately, much like “The Power of the Dog,” which earned Ari Wegner a nomination at the Academy Awards.
According to Women in Cinematography, “several organizations have made multiple unsuccessful efforts in the past to encourage Camerimage to launch wider inclusivity programs, not just sporadic diversity discussions,” prior to the controversy that followed.
In light of the disappointing under-representation of diverse voices at the 2021 festival, I, as part of the IMAGO D&I committee, collaborated with the Digital Orchard Foundation to propose a series of changes aimed at expanding the selection process. These adjustments aim to address the persistent issue of overlooked female and minority cinematographers in the festival lineup. (Camerimage was not explicitly mentioned here but can be implied from the context)
Although “Camerimage didn’t carry out any of these initiatives,” Women in Cinematography’s petition on change.org was handed over to the festival in September.
We do not consider Mr Żydowicz’s campaign as evidence of Camerimage Festival’s dedication to diversity or as a means to deflect valid criticism, as suggested in his response to the BSC’s open letter on Nov. 9. Instead, these events transpired due to our activism and both public and global pressure.
The festival revealed a fresh Diversity and Inclusion policy as part of its defense strategy, which had actually been drafted by WIC on September 28th. This policy wasn’t made public until the recent controversy surrounding the Cinematography World article, and was posted without acknowledging its origin or giving credit to the women who wrote it.
On Instagram, Reed Morano admitted she was “surprised and sad” by Żydowicz’s comments.
Reflecting on the past, I’d assert that most of the work labeled ‘mediocre’ was surprisingly not created by a female filmmaker! Moreover, the subpar productions I had to endure left me speechless. It’s disheartening that my friends at Camerimage, by categorizing art based on gender and grouping female work with mediocrity, seem to hold an antiquated perspective that they themselves can’t acknowledge. This implies that their belief is: A male cinematographer holds a greater claim to competition than a female one.
Check out this petition here: change.org/p/filmmakers-demanding-change-at-Camerimage?fbclid=IwY2xjawGgD-xleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSFWl6BEObk3VmUMCKt3y334qaZ7qOrCeyzoE2Tr3_cUc4WyMw9_u0an8A_aem_leQ2KqTKW7XOhgITleYjFA
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2024-11-12 19:48