1. Ethical and Legal Gender Representation Women and Directing

2. Gender Representation How are women represented on film? How are women treated by the film industry? What messages do we get from film about women? Are things getting better or worse?

3. Women in the Industry – Top Grossing Films of 2007 98% of the films featured at least one male director 96% featured at least one male writer 2.7% of the films had a female director 26% of the films had one or more female writers

4. Women in the Industry – Quiz! Name three women known for directing films

5. Ida Lupino

6. Dorothy Arzner

7. Kathryn Bigelow

8. Betty Thomas

9. Deborah Kaplan

10. Gurinder Chadha

11. Antonia Bird

12. Lotte Reiniger

13. Leni Reifenstahl

14. Facts Women are under represented in the industry Only one woman has won an Oscar for best film, and she has had to struggle to get her films made over the years Women face uneven treatment regarding criticism of their films

15. Kathryn Bigelow

16. Near Dark (1988) Contemporary vampire film Accused of glorifying violence Originally cut by the BBFC for an 18 certificate Criticised for being made by a woman –Women shouldn’t make horror films

17. Blue Steel (1989) Women shouldn’t make violent films However Blue Steel was hailed as a feminist film due to the strong central character

18. Point Break (1991) Women “can’t do action” Criticised for glorifying theft and violence

19. Strange Days (1995) Dystopian Sci-fi film Written by James Cameron (her partner and director of Titanic and Avatar) Vilified for: –Violence –Sexual violence –Misogyny

20. Strange Days (1995) One of the most hated films Bigelow was hauled across the coals Women’s Hour spent almost an entire programme attacking her over the film Heavily cut by the BBFC at 18 rating Still cut! …all because of her gender

21. Strange Days (1995) Lost money at the BO For a male director this would be unfortunate For Bigelow it meant seven years before making another film …and when that only recouped the budget it would be another six years before she could make another

22. The Hurt Locker (2008) A low budget film in a box office poison genre (Iraq war films = flop in general) But: –Critical success –Won BAFTA’s and Oscar’s –And still made hardly any money…

23. “I long personally for the day when that modifier [women director] is a moot point. I anticipate that day will come. I think we’re close. If ‘The Hurt Locker’ or the attention that it’s getting can make the impossible seem possible to somebody, it’s pretty overwhelming and gratifying. At least we’re heading in the right direction.” Kathryn Bigelow – Feb. 2010