Page 30 - AT

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 7 February 2020
Women vying for Oscars salute

their progress, snubs aside

By LYNN ELBER tive. among women,” Reichert
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) “On behalf of Greta and said, drawing shouts of
— The mood at Diane von myself, yeah, it would have “Yes!” from other guests.
Furstenberg’s lunch honor- been better if she got nom- Some reinforced the val-
ing this year’s female Os- inated. But ‘Little Women’ ue of sisterhood with their
car contenders could have is the third movie in the his- own stories. Kirstine Barfod,
been downbeat, given the tory of the Oscars that is who with Sigrid Dyekjaer
shutout of women direc- produced, directed and produced the nominated
tors for Sunday’s awards. written” by women, Pascal documentary “The Cave,”
Greta Gerwig, left, and Laura Dern attend the 92nd Academy Instead, it was celebratory said, drawing applause. about a heroic doctor and
Awards Nominees Luncheon at the Loews Hotel on Monday, and defiant. That’s good, she said, “but her staff in war-torn Syria,
Jan. 27, 2020, in Los Angeles. The 30-plus nominees who more is better.” said it was Dyekjaer’s faith
Associated Press
gathered at von Fursten- Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who in her abilities that helped
berg’s home, tucked into earned a best original make her career possible.
elegant and secluded screenplay nod for “1917,” Work, not awards, should
grounds, cheered as the said the film has been her be the main goal, Dern
women spoke in turn. Lau- passport to many parties said in an interview at the
ra Dern, a best supporting and some telling moments. lunch.
actress nominee for “Mar- “Every time I say I’m the “We need to take the focus
riage Story,” kicked things writer of ‘1917,’ people go, off of the lack of accolades
off Wednesday by recalling ‘huh?’ and those people for women and look at the
von Furstenberg’s first nom- are unfailingly male. And lack of opportunities. You
inees’ lunch six years ago. today, not one single per- can’t say five movies were
A single couch was son in this room has gone, made by women, and they
enough to hold the hand- ‘huh?’” she said. “So i just got snubbed. Well, OK, but
ful of women, Dern told the want to say thank you for of the 300 guys who got
packed room, adding, “I that.” to make them, there were
look forward to that entire Karen Rupert Toliver, a pro- a bunch of guys who got
garden to be filled in a few ducer of the nominated snubbed,” Dern said. “We
years!” animated short “Hair Love,” need to change the num-
Von Furstenberg and marveled at being in the bers.”
Academy of Motion Pic- room with her industry “he- Anita Hill, head of a com-
ture Arts and Sciences roes.” Toliver was among mission scrutinizing sexual
CEO Dawn Hudson said the few nominees of color abuse and harassment in
a record 67 nominations attending the lunch in a the entertainment and me-
went to women this year, year that produced only dia sectors, said hearing
which Hudson called rep- one nod for a non-white women of proven value
resentative of a trend in actor, Cynthia Erivo in “Har- say they are not getting
the academy that has long riet.” treated fairly “has inspired
tilted heavily male. Half the Women are making impres- me to do my work even
newly invited members are sive strides in documenta- harder.”
women, she said, and the ries and animation, as was Many guests tipped their
leadership is changing as emphasized by the nearly hat to von Furstenberg,
well. 20 guests with nods in those with Pascal calling the
“When I started with the categories. fashion magnate a woman
academy nine years ago Julia Reichert, who earned who “takes charge every
there were six female gov- her fourth and latest nomi- day and doesn’t take ‘no’
ernors, and it was hard for nation for the documen- for an answer and built her
our voices to be heard tary “American Factory,” own empire.”
around the big table,” summoned memories from Hudson saluted her for her
Hudson said. “And today her early career. One was dedication to the long-
there are 25.” hearing that a woman planned academy muse-
Greta Gerwig, excluded can control the family’s um that is slated to open
from the best director cat- shopping budget “but you this year.
egory for “Little Women” don’t want to give her $5 Actress Tessa Thompson, a
despite its best-picture bid, million to make a movie.” lunch co-host, said the fa-
was on hand briefly be- “This is an actual quote cility will “do justice to the
fore dashing out, it was ex- from a producer guy back stories of women in film,”
plained, to get back home then. And how do we get a promise echoed by the
to her baby. from there to where we museum’s new head, Bill
“That’s OK. As long as she are?” Reichert said, sug- Kramer.
gets the Oscar,” a guest gesting two reasons. “We pledge to be inclusive.
called out. Gerwig is a “We’re not accepting pa- We pledge to tell com-
nominee for best adapted triarchy, not accepting the plete, complicated stories.
screenplay. way the males have done And we’re doing it with
Former studio chief Amy it. We have our own way your help,” he said. The
Pascal, who produced and we’re going to make museum’s opening date
“Little Women,” offered an our own way. The other will be announced soon,
industry veteran’s perspec- thing is solidarity, solidarity Kramer said.q