Women Filmmakers?

[LoveDanny_77]

I am interested to know what you all think of women filmmakers as a whole? I am very interested in what all of you think about this. Does the gender of a filmmaker matter? Or is it all about the skill that filmmaker has? Do you think one sex makes better films than the other? And why are there so many more male filmmakers them female?

Just a few things to think about. I am looking forward to responses.

[Yammeryammeryammer]

Women filmmakers?!?!?!? *GASP* What's next? Women voting? NOT burning Jewish literature???

But seriously, it shouldn't and probably doesn't matter a whole lot. Especially now, filmmaking groups are generally made of relatively bright folk, and as such there tends to be a lot of sensitivity to race/gender/socioeconomic issues. But even so, there is a large inbalance regarding male/female directors, cinematographers, things like that, but writers and actors are relatively the same. Actors and writers can come from theatre operations where the gender ratio is more even. With that said there are still directors like Allison Anders and Katt Shea who are on par with most male directors in terms of talent, but not in terms of job oppertunity. Whatever the case, I agree with WarEagle, that dedication and skill the determining factors.

[Patriarch]

Ive always claimed that it shows that Peacemaker and Deep Impact are directed my Mimi Leader (a women obviously)...

I like both films, and even if they have maskulin premises (stolen bomb, meteor hitting earth) they have a feminin touch imho... I may just be kidding myself though

[MattEBoy]

I recently attended a short film festival in my area, and was pleased to see a healthy amount of women filmmakers there.

Quality wise, there was no difference between films made my men, and those made by women. You get different points of view between the genders, but apart from that, there's no difference and anyone who says otherwise really should be quiet.

If anyone remembers those adverts for the Goldfish Credit card, that was done by a woman.

[GREATwarEAGLE]

I don't think it matters, the gender that is. I'd be surprised if many male filmmakers think about such things. I am male. I dont give this any thought. Not to be insensitive, but as far as the politics of filmmaking are concerned I fret over the ones that affect me. This one doesn't.

Why so few women filmmakers. Well, maybe many women don't wanna be filmmakers. I dont know. If they do - who's stopping them?

It's not any easy business to establish oneself in and earn a significant income from. Black. White. Male. Female.

I think it's a matter of patience, hard work, and skill. Yeah a little luck. But dont put your faith in luck. And dont put the blame on anyone else. Everyone's gotta pay their dues.

And even if you had solid proof that the fact that you are female did stand in the way of you accomplishing something film related. Hey, them's the breaks. Learn from it. Get over it. And move on. Write a script about it.

[LoveDanny_77]

I find myself agreeing with your point of views. I guess the stigma that women filmmakers have it tougher is just that a rumor or a misconception based on experiences women have had in other areas.

I agree that women filmmakers can and are on the same level as male filmmakers, but why do you think it is more males choose to go into the film trade as filmmakers rather then females? Is it a masculine field or is it just a result of the field being dominated by men for so long?

and on a side note, Sophia Coppalla is an excellent example of a female filmmaker. The Virgin Suicides is an amazing film.

[Yammeryammeryammer]

Ya. I liked 'The Virgin Suicides', but then again Sophia Coppola doesn't really represent the average chick out there trying to make a movie. She's got the finest film pedigree this side of Bridget Fonda. No one in their right mind would go out on a limb and say women just flat out aren't as good as men at something. So, if that aspect is equal, then the discrepancy must be from either opportunity or interest.

[Vertino]

Just to add another successful and talented female filmmaker... Kathryn Bigelow!

http://uk.imdb.com/Name?Bigelow,%20Kathryn

[twister!]

...and Jane Campion.

---- No one in their right mind would go out on a limb and say women just flat out aren't as good as men at something.----

It may not be a PC thing to say in this day and age (and I may get some flak for saying it) but it is a simple fact of life based on evolution - the male is more adept at some things and the female is more adept at others - one area that relates to film-making (and sex) is that the male is more visuallly stimulated - whereas the female is more verbally stimulated). Also, statistics and research into the human mind show that the male has more capapcity for either genius or (unfortunately) psychosis.

[Alex]

Well, a sister topic (shehehehehehehe) could be the proliferation of young girl coming of age stories that seem to be abounding.

Bend it like Beckhman, the whale film (forgot the name), and I'm sure there have been more young girl faces a challenge story in the last year than perhaps in the last five years.

And then there's legally blonde. [img]graemlins/shhh.gif[/img]