Women Cinematographers ‘Being Judged Still,’ Say Top Industry Talents at Camerimage

As a seasoned cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt and a keen eye for quality storytelling, I cannot help but feel disheartened yet inspired by the events unfolding at this year’s EnergaCamerimage film festival in Torun, Poland. The issue of diversity and inclusion within the cinematography world is, sadly, not a new one, but it seems that the fight for greater representation has reached a critical juncture.

Leading figures in the filmmaking sector tackled a significant concern that’s well-known within our industry on Tuesday, recounting personal experiences from their ongoing struggle to promote diversity and inclusivity.

At the recent EnergaCamerimage film festival in Torun, Poland, I found myself expressing a familiar sentiment: the film industry and its focus on cinematography continue to fall behind when it comes to nurturing diverse talent. It’s high time we take strides towards inclusivity and representation on both sides of the camera lens.

Anna Higgs, both a producer and columnist, stated firmly as she introduced the hastily arranged discussion titled ‘Expanding Our Perspective: Inclusion and Greatness in Our Field,’ which was organized this week following a dispute that led some prominent filmmakers to skip Camerimage. The statement she made is that the notion suggesting inclusion weakens excellence should not be open for discussion.

Criticism has been voiced by professional associations over comments made by the festival president, Marek Zydowicz, that appeared to suggest that emphasizing inclusivity may result in subpar movie productions. This controversial stance led to director Steve McQueen’s decision to forgo attending Camerimage and filmmaker Coralie Fargeat withdrawing her film “The Substance” from competition.

On Tuesday, an impressive crowd gathered in a movie theater for a diversity and inclusion discussion panel at the festival, eager to gain insights from a distinguished group consisting of cinematographers Mandy Walker and Rodrigo Prieto, director Maura Delpero, costume designer Sandy Powell, and actor-producer Cate Blanchett.

Mentioning a profession with approximately 7% female workers and 93% male worldwide, Higgs noted that the representation within cinematography has been “undeniably inadequate” since its inception, not only concerning gender but also for parents, individuals with disabilities, people of color, and those dealing with socioeconomic challenges.

According to Higgs, the kind of portrayal we have as storytellers in films significantly impacts our collective identity as a society. In these challenging times, it’s crucial for us to unite, exchange tales, and empathize with diverse viewpoints and personal experiences that remind us of our shared humanity.

According to Delpero, film festivals like Camerimage play a crucial part in the process, as he stated that such events naturally need to diversify their lineups to avoid giving an advantage to established players. He explained that festivals understand the importance of diversity to prevent bias, but when it comes to gender, race, and socio-economic status, it becomes more complex.

Particularly when the privileged believe it’s necessary to relinquish their advantages and coexist harmoniously, Higgs noted.

Prieto, known for his work on films like “The Glorias” and “Barbie,” expressed gratitude for being involved in movies helmed by women that focus on female subjects. He further mentioned that these stories offering a female perspective have been particularly enlightening and beautiful to him.

Successful filmmakers should strive to keep broadening the discourse, according to Prieto, and casting choices are one avenue for this, he added. In essence, it’s about being aware and observant of diverse possibilities.

The “slate” or “series” of movies in the works – essentially, which films are being produced and who gets to direct them – appears to be shifting, as suggested by Higgs, although there’s a lot more room for advancement yet.

It was pointed out that female directors are now creating Marvel movies, benefiting from extensive marketing funds that aid in career advancement. However, camerawork artists such as Rachel Morrison (who filmed “Elvis” and the upcoming Disney musical “Snow White”) remain relatively scarce compared to their male counterparts.

Walker admitted that she was informed as a child that women couldn’t become cinematographers, but she chose to disregard this notion. She also mentioned that she faced a significant amount of bullying and encountered both conscious and unconscious bias throughout her journey.

Many women, much like her, often felt the need to exceed expectations significantly, striving for a level of perfection beyond 100%, as they believed they needed to be exceptionally talented to excel at their roles. If they didn’t, there was always the fear that people might assume “women are not capable of doing that.

As a trailblazing film critic, I must admit that it’s not uncommon for me to be the lone female at the helm in many productions. It’s an unusual position, one that I’ve grown accustomed to being judged for simply because of its novelty. Despite the progress made, the industry still has a long way to go.

Walker mentioned that the problem at hand has sparked a proactive approach within her, where she is committed to facilitating opportunities for individuals who are underrepresented. She emphasized, “I purposefully seek them out.

As a movie enthusiast, I, having taken a break from the cinematic world for a decade to delve into theater production, was astonished to observe that the conventional “natural, organic journey” in films seems to bypass women. This was particularly striking when I returned to the film industry as jury chair for this year’s Camerimage main competition.

Back then, a small number of people I encountered on movie sets had disappeared, leaving only men who continued to progress in their careers. At that moment, it struck me as quite surprising – “That’s when I realized, ‘Wow, this is truly astonishing.’

Actress Cate Blanchett, co-founder of Dirty Films production company with partners Andrew Upton and Coco Francini, has recently introduced Proof of Concept – a program that provides financial backing, mentorship, and screening chances for budding filmmakers. In 2023, under the banner of this enterprise, Blanchett both produced and starred in Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy,” which was awarded the Camerimage Golden Frog in the same year.

Blanchett stated, “We’re all included in this discussion. We can’t just step aside from it. Instead, we need to contribute to the transformation.

2024-11-20 02:47

Women Cinematographers ‘Being Judged Still,’ Say Top Industry Talents at Camerimage

Read More

Minority Mindset