Why aren't there more Women Film Directors?

One of my favorite movies EVER was directed (and written by and starred) Elaine May, A New Leaf:

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i watch films based on what i can gather about the content, never by director or actor

most of the time i have no idea who's behind the production, unless a big deal is made about in the hype surrounding the film

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@djjd62,

djjd62 wrote:

i watch films based on what i can gather about the content, never by director or actor

most of the time i have no idea who's behind the production,
unless a big deal is made about in the hype surrounding the film

I have chosen movies based on their actresses.
I favor Sandra Bullock.

David

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@OmSigDAVID,

I keep an eye out to watch films from various personally respected directors like Satoshi Kon, Hayao Miyaziki, Wes Anderson, or John Sayles.

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Can someone explain how the movie "Big" could be nominated for Best Picture, nominated for Best Writing, Tom Hanks was nominated for Best Actor but the director, Penny Marshall, was NOT nominated for anything except a "special mention" at the Venice Film Festival?

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@eoe,

Big twasn't nominated for Best Picture.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094737/awards

But she did out direct at least two of the year's Oscar nominees ...
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) - Martin Scorsese
Working Girl (1988) - Mike Nichols (I).

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You all are confused, the question of whether women can make great movies is not the thing. I know that they can and am on record saying that for me movies would be better if more women were involved. But this is a business, quality is secondary to profits, and the claim is that those who pay to see movies prefer the movies that are made by men, so there for women are less valuable to the business...and thus less worthy of jobs and money.

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@tsarstepan,

oops. I stand corrected.

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@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

... and the claim is that those who pay to see movies prefer the movies that are made by men, so there for women are less valuable to the business...and thus less worthy of jobs and money.

Yes. That is the claim.
The only thing that overrides the greed for money is the need for control.

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@eoe,

Quote:

Yes. That is the claim.
The only thing that overrides the greed for money is the need for control.

that is the claim by those who run Hollywood, so if you think they are wrong then prove them wrong. It was just two years ago that women ran 4 out of 9 major Hollywood firms.....it did not work out too well. I think that Hollywood is tired of women whining about what is "right" but consistently failing to produce profits when given the opportunity. Hollywood is not about arty-farty movies that don't make money, if women want that then they can set up indy companies and do their own thing, but Hollywood is all about the money. That is how it should be in a market capitalism system.

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@hawkeye10,

I think that if I were a woman I would be less concerned about the director situation and more concerned that the romantic comedy movies have become crap formula product, as well with the lack of good roles for actresses. Hollywood has a small point that guys dont want to see chicks in their action movies unless they are a hot piece of ass like megan fox, and even she better not be the lead, but their is no excuse for the lack of good female roles throughout the industry.

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@hawkeye10,

Quote:

Hollywood produces what the people want, not what the feminists want the people to want, and it gets the best producers of the product.....

Oh sure.

And I suppose television production companies do the same, too? That's why there's so much TV which keeps us all riveted to the small screen so much of the time. Neutral

Hollywood produces what Hollywood executives think will make their companies money, with the minimum possible financial or "creative" risk . Thank god for the independents I say! Without them a lot of us would have given up on going to the movies altogether by now ...

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@msolga,

Quote:

Thank god for the independents I say! Without them a lot of us would have given up on going to the movies altogether by now ...

Sadly the indy scene has pretty much dried up over the last five years. The history of the indies proves wise the Hollywood powers method of going after the young men who go to movies. I hate most of the product line, but fact is even if hollywood put out movies for a middle aged white guy I STILL would not go more than six or so times a year. I have a giant HDTV with a $2,ooo surround sound system, and I get most of my content for next to nothing from Netflix. Hollywood was never going to make money off of me, and they seem to be smart enough to realize this.

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@tsarstepan,

Quote:

... and Deepa Mehta:
Water and Earth

How could I have possibly forgotten to mention Deepa Mehta amongst my favourite female directors, tsar? Plus quite a few others? Confused

(This is what comes of cooking & posting at the same time, which is what I was doing yesterday. Wink

)

Deepa Mehta is a terrific (& very brave!) Indian film director who has made films which have often faced fierce opposition in her own country. By a stroke of good fortune, they happen to be marvellous films, too! Smile

Promo for Water:

Review for Water:
http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1601569.htm

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A couple more of my favourite women film directors, if I may.
Both directors of exceptionally good films which were released this year. Both Australian productions. (2009 was an great year for Oz film making.)

The first one is Rachel Ward. Beautiful Kate is her first film & it received rave reviews. What took her so long to start directing, seeing she's obviously so talented? See my next post.

Trailer from Beautiful Kate:

Beautiful Kate -Wikipedia info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful_Kate

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@msolga,

Interesting video interview (in link below) with Rachel Ward.

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2009/05/22/1225714/871996-rachel-ward.jpg

(She's a straight-forward communicator, too!) After years of acting, then writing & a couple of short films, finally (!) in 2009 a chance to direct her first feature length film. Some interesting insights into Hollywood, the film industry & the challenges for potential women directors: "The idea of being a (female) director just doesn't enter the equation." :

http://www.aftrsmedia.com/CSB/the-knowledge-rachel-ward/

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@msolga,

Quote:

The first one is Rachel Ward. Beautiful Kate is her first film & it received rave reviews. What took her so long to start directing, seeing she's obviously so talented? See my next post.

Cost 6 mil (not including publicity), rev in Australia just over 1 mil, the 82nd most popular film of the year in Australia, and still deemed one of the most successful Australian indy films of the year.

Thus illustrating my points beautifully....
according to the yard stick of the economic system, this work is a failure. Smart money would not take part in this project, or ones like it.

http://boxofficemojo.com/intl/australia/yearly/
http://www.if.com.au/2009/08/20/article/Box-office-Beautiful-Kate-climbs/BBITRCTECP.html

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The thing that draws me to the women directors I've mentioned is that they deal with "difficult" subjects (sometime taboo subjects) so well .. & with fresher, clearer eyes than "Hollywood" ever could! (In my humble opinion! Wink

)
Sofia Coppola turns the mysteries of emerging sexuality (& repression) into a dream-like fantasy. Deepa Mehta tackles archaic religious ideas & cultural practices & examines how they have repressed women in her own country (India). The subject of Rachel Ward's film, Beautiful Kate, is about the taboo subject of incest.
Thing is, these films are not political diatribes. Absolutely not! They are beautifully made, engrossing films about aspects of the human condition. Entertaining, even! Honestly, I am agog with admiration. I assure you, none of these films could have come from Hollywood film studios! Wink

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@msolga,

Water

Cost: About 3 mil not including promotion

Box office: $3.1 mil

A wash, made no one money. A failure in economic terms.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2006/sep/25deepa.htm
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10005763-water/

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OK. My last favourite woman director is Ana Kokkinos. A totally uncompromising film director, if ever I came across one! She is hugely talented, she knows how to make a great film & she never shies away from difficult subjects. Keep her name in mind. This woman is going to achieve much more in her film making career, yet!

I couldn't find a YouTube link to her latest film, Blessed, but if you're interested, you'll find a trailer in this link below. I saw Blessed a few months ago. It's theme is (I guess) the link between mothers and troubled/"at risk"/lost or alienated children. The setting is Melbourne, where I live. I walked out of a viewing of this film in a complete daze, it had such an impact.

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s2658172.htm

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Why aren't there more Women Film Directors?

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